AHRI Update
May 15, 2025
Top Stories
AHRI, HARDI Jointly Publish Refrigerant Op-Ed
The ACHR News this week published a joint op-ed on the current shortage of R-454B, co-authored by AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek and HARDI CEO Talbot Gee. The authors call for patience and collaboration across the industry to solve the supply chain-related shortage, rather than seeking policy changes that could have damaging long-term effects on the HVACR and water heating industry. The op-ed was published in advance of most of the industry’s visit to Washington next week for sessions with regulators and visits with legislators on Capitol Hill. Contact: Francis Dietz.
AHRI’s Government Affairs Team to Host Several Webinars in Coming Weeks
Over the next three weeks, AHRI’s Government Affairs team will be hosting multiple webinars on some of the industry’s most pressing topics. We expect these sessions to be helpful as members determine their regulatory priorities for the second half of 2025 and look ahead to 2026.
Tomorrow, May 16, AHRI will be providing an additional opportunity for members to attend the educational webinar, Welcome to Lobbying! How to Make the Most of Your Capitol Hill Visits at the AHRI Policy Symposium, which will occur from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. EDT. During the session, participants will hear from Samantha Slater, AHRI Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, and Makenzie Horrigan, AHRI Senior Manager of International and Domestic Policy, who will help you develop effective federal advocacy programs in advance of the symposium. If you were registered to attend the first Welcome to Lobbying webinar on May 2, you have been registered to attend on the new date.
On May 29, from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EDT, AHRI’s Government Affairs team will be joined by political consultants Missy Edwards and Richard Sullivan for the webinar, Looking Ahead to the 2026 Elections. While we are only five months into 2025, it is never too soon to talk about the 2026 elections! The webinar will cover predictions for the 2026 midterms, the early election map, insights from Republican and Democratic camps, and how the elections could impact the second half of the Trump Administration.
The focus will expand to state government priorities for the webinar, Tracking the Shift: State and Federal Trends in Extended Producer Responsibility, which will take place on June 5 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT. Several members of AHRI’s Government Affairs team who specialize in state government issues will be joined by Jacob Cassady, Director of Government Affairs at the Appliance of Home Manufacturers to review recent developments from state legislatures across the country. They will cover several aspects related to EPR programs, including key takeaways from new laws, current status of state regulatory programs, compliance timelines, and resources available to AHRI members. Contact: Makenzie Horrigan.
AHRI/ Industry News
AHRI Policy Symposium to Begin Monday
AHRI is looking forward to welcoming members to Washington, DC, for the 2025 AHRI Policy Symposium, to be held next week - May 19-21 - at the Marriott Marquis. The meeting is a unique opportunity for members of all backgrounds and company sizes to communicate our industry’s legislative and regulatory priorities. During the meeting, attendees will hear from high profile keynote speakers, experienced panelists representing key regulatory agencies, and AHRI’s Government Affairs staff on the best strategies for developing a successful federal advocacy program. Registered attendees will receive an email with information on registration, travel, and the event schedule. Contact: Lauren Little.
Legislative and Regulatory
CalRecycle to Host Packaging Producer Responsibility Advisory Board Meeting
On May 16 at 10 a.m. PDT, CalRecycle will host an Advisory Board meeting for the implementation of Senate Bill 54 (Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022), the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54). During this meeting, the Advisory Board will discuss:
- Updates from CalRecycle on the regulations, needs assessment studies, and other elements of implementation
- Updates from needs assessment consultants on collection, processing, and end markets needs assessment study
- Draft content for the advisory board “Barriers & Solutions” recommendations report
A link to the advisory board agenda can be found on the Advisory Board Repository. Zoom participants may submit oral comments and questions via Zoom. Registration is required. Contact: Nicole Colantonio.
CARB to Hold Workshop on California’s Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program and Climate-Related Financial Risk Disclosure Program
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will hold a virtual workshop on May 29 to discuss an overview of California’s Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, established by Senate Bill (SB) 253, as well as the Climate-Related Financial Risk Disclosure Program, established by SB 261.
Authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D) and signed into law in 2023, SB 253 requires large businesses operating in the state to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions. Authored by Senator Henry Stern (D) and also signed into law in 2023, SB 261 requires large businesses to report on their climate-related financial risks.
The workshop will take place on Thursday, May 29 at 9:30 a.m. PDT. Interested parties can attend via Zoom. The documents will be available for download on CARB’s website. Contact: Nicole Colantonio.
South Coast Air Quality Management District to Host Public Hearing on Proposed Amended Rules 1111 and 1121
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has scheduled a public hearing on June 6 at 9:00 a.m. PDT, during which the governing board will consider the adoption of Proposed Amended Rule 1111 – Reduction of NOx Emissions from Natural Gas-Fired Furnaces (PAR 1111) and Proposed Amended Rule 1121 – Reduction of NOx Emissions from Residential Type, Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters (PAR 1121).
The Notice of Public Hearing is available online. Interested persons may provide oral or written statements at the hearing. Individuals who wish to submit written or electronic comments must submit them to the Clerk of the Boards, South Coast AQMD, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA, 91765-4178 or to [email protected], by 5:00 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, June 3. Contact: Nicole Colantonio.
Certification
AHRI Welcomes New Certification Program Participants
AHRI is pleased to welcome CU Air Conditioning Industries LLC to the Forced Circulation Air-Cooling & Air-Heating Coils (ACHC) Certification Program. AHRI is also pleased to welcome Nexson (Beijing) Industrial Technology Co., Ltd. and Hotwater DHS (Beijing) Co. to the Liquid to Liquid Heat Exchangers (LLHE) Certification Program. Contact: Bill Tritsis.
Standards
AHRI Standards Open for Public Review and Comment
Technical Review
AHRI invites public comments on the technical content of the following draft AHRI standards. Based upon comments received, the Commercial Refrigeration Standards Technical Committee (STC) will decide whether to make changes. Copies of the drafts and the list of revisions are available through the documents’ links, listed below.
Document Designation and Title: BSR/AHRI Standard 1250-202x (I-P), Performance Rating of Walk-in Coolers and Freezers
STC: Commercial Refrigeration
Public Review Deadline: June 2
Contact: Greg Kalinyak
Document Designation and Title: BSR/AHRI Standard 1251-202x (SI), Performance Rating of Walk-in Coolers and Freezers
STC: Commercial Refrigeration
Public Review Deadline: June 2
Contact: Greg Kalinyak
Weekly Update from ASHRAE, ANSI, and SCC
This week’s summary of ASHRAE, ANSI, and SCC standards activities that are relevant to AHRI’s work is available here. Current and previous standards activities for ASHRAE can be found here. Current and previous standards activities for ANSI can be found here.
International
AHRI MENA Visits Affiliate Member Office
On May 6, staff from AHRI’s MENA office, including Managing Director Nabil Shahin and Development Manager Hassan Kal, met with staff from DCM Egypt at its headquarters in Cairo. As an affiliate member, DCM Egypt will participate in AHRI MENA’s technical committees and standards development efforts. Contact: Hassan Kal.
AHRI MENA Presents Certification Performance Award
On May 5, staff from AHRI’s MENA office visited Tiba Manzalawi Group in Cairo to present a performance certificate recognizing the company for its 100 percent success rate in certification testing for its central station air-handling unit supply fans over a three-year period. AHRI congratulates the company for its outstanding achievement. Contact: Hassan Kal.
AHRI MENA Staff Meets with Housing and Building Research Center in Egypt
On May 5, staff from AHRI’s MENA office met with the Housing and Building Research Center (HBRC) in Egypt to discuss opportunities for collaboration. The discussion focused on ways for both organizations to support the development and implementation of performance-based standards that promote energy efficiency and sustainability in Egypt’s building sector. Contact: Hassan Kal.