Quick Takeaways:
- The DOE has repealed key energy efficiency rules for commercial refrigeration systems.
- Kysor Warren is staying committed to sustainable commercial refrigeration, regardless of regulatory rollbacks.
- Our systems—built on natural refrigerants and high-efficiency engineering—are designed to meet customer needs now and in the future.
- These regulatory changes may affect the broader industry, but the market demand for energy-efficient, eco-conscious systems remains strong.
If you’ve been following the regulatory landscape lately, you’ve probably noticed a dramatic shift: the U.S. Department of Energy just rolled back dozens of efficiency standards, many of which directly affect commercial refrigeration. At a glance, these changes may seem like a win for cost-cutting and deregulation. But for manufacturers, retailers, and solution providers like Kysor Warren, the long-term picture is more complex.
This affects how the entire industry moves forward on sustainability, performance, and customer value.
What Changed?
In May 2025, President Trump signed a series of Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions that rescinded several late-stage Biden-era rules. Among them:
- Efficiency standards for commercial refrigerators and freezers
- Standards for walk-in coolers and freezers
- A wider removal of certification requirements across energy-using equipment categories
Additionally, the DOE announced plans to modify or eliminate almost 50 other regulations, many of which target established efficiency programs that have guided product development for years. These moves could dial some standards back to the 1980s.
For the commercial refrigeration industry, that’s a shift with real consequences.
The Cost of Rolling Back Progress
While some may think that efficiency standards are just bureaucratic red tape, they’ve actually helped push the industry toward:
- Lower operating costs for retailers
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- Smarter energy planning for utilities
According to the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, just the previously proposed refrigeration rules would have saved businesses up to $11.1 billion over 30 years (split over
commercial display/reach-in cases and
walk in coolers). With energy demand only growing, removing these standards works against the grid resilience strategies utilities are building around.
What This Means for Manufacturers Like Kysor Warren
We’ve already invested heavily in energy-efficient, sustainable commercial refrigeration systems because it’s the right call for our customers and the planet - not just because regulations required it.
Our portfolio of systems, which includes
CO2 Refrigeration Systems,
Distributed and
Centralized Systems, is designed to meet stringent global benchmarks, not just U.S. minimums. We engineer around:
- Natural refrigerants like CO2
- High-performance condenser/gas cooler assemblies
- Intelligent distributed system designs that improve energy use and heat recovery
We’re not scaling that back. And here’s why.
Beyond Compliance: Why We’re Staying the Course
Deregulation may ease the pressure in the short term, but walking away from sustainability is shortsighted. Today’s retailers and facility managers aren’t asking for the cheapest system on paper. They’re asking for:
- Predictable energy performance
- Reduced carbon footprint
- Technology that’s future-ready for tightening global standards
Sustainable commercial refrigeration is no longer a niche project. It’s where the market is headed, and rightly so. While we respect regulatory changes, our responsibility is to our customers, who rely on us for efficient, durable systems that lower long-term costs and environmental impact.
Legal challenges to these policy changes may also mean that standards revert to previously defined targets, so it is crucial that businesses stay at the cutting edge of efficiency and sustainable commercial refrigeration to ensure long term success with no surprises.
Where Our Industry Goes from Here
There’s no question these policy shifts will affect how some manufacturers approach product development. But let’s be clear, lowering the bar doesn’t serve anyone in the long run.
Kysor Warren, and many of our competitors, have already stepped up to meet higher expectations. And we’re not turning back.
The Bottom Line
We’ll continue building high-efficiency systems that support the goals of our customers for sustainability, resilience, and performance…whether regulations demand it or not.
Smart refrigeration isn’t about the minimum, it’s about what works best for your business and the environment.
Want to see how our sustainable refrigeration systems perform in real-world stores? Explore our solutions at
kysorwarren.com or
get in touch with your regional salesperson to talk about what’s next for your store.
Need help designing a system that’s sustainable, compliant, and cost-effective? We’re here to help.
