House lawmakers voted to undo energy efficiency standards for commercial refrigerators and freezers finalized during the Biden administration.

On Thursday, House lawmakers voted 214 to 193 to overturn the Energy Department’s standards for commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers and 203 to 182 to undo the standards for walk-in coolers and freezers. Republicans have long criticized Democrats’ efforts to establish new and stringent energy conservation standards for appliances, arguing they raise costs and limit consumer choice. 

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The two resolutions were passed through the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers to bypass the filibuster and take a simple majority vote in both chambers to cancel regulations. Republicans have used the CRA in recent weeks to undo many of the Biden administration’s energy policies.

Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK), who sponsored the walk-in coolers and freezers bill, wrote on X earlier this week that President Donald Trump and House Republicans “are working to get the government out of our daily lives. My resolution would halt the Biden Admin’s rule on walk-in coolers and freezers, a regulation which carries a billion dollar price tag.” 

Both rules were finalized toward the end of the Biden administration, which argued that the standards would reduce consumers’ energy costs.

Specifically, the two rules set more stringent standards for new commercial refrigerators, freezers, refrigerator-freezers, walk-in coolers, and walk-in freezers. The department is required to periodically review the standards to determine whether the products are using technology to reduce energy.

“If you’re a restaurant or a grocery store, the House just voted to raise your costs,” Andrew DeLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standard Awareness Project, who supports the Energy Department rules, said in a statement.

“It’s small businesses that would pay the price of installing outdated technology. Canceling the standards would lock in needless energy waste for years to come, using up electric grid capacity that’s urgently needed for our growing economy,” DeLaski added.

The Appliance Standard Awareness Project said the walk-in cooler and freezer standards would have saved businesses around $6.5 billion on utility bills, and the commercial refrigerators and freezers standards would have saved nearly $4.6 billion on utility bills from products sold over 30 years.

Several industry groups reached an agreement with the Energy Department in 2023 on standards for refrigerators and freezers, which the department adopted as the final rule. However, Republicans argued that the standards do not consider the impact on consumer costs.

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti urged the Energy Department in May 2024 to reevaluate the rule.

“After months of arm-twisting by DOE and advocacy groups, manufacturers relented, and appliance manufacturers and advocacy organizations submitted a new proposal,” Skrmetti wrote. “Most disconcerting is the lack of consideration for the average consumer, who undoubtedly will be most affected by appliance price hikes due to the new regulations.”