U.S. DOE Finalizes Rule Clarifying Use of ASHRAE Energy Conservation Standard

ASHRAE is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Energy has issued a final rule, clarifying that DOE must meet its statutory requirements to adopt ASHRAE Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Standard 90.1 energy conservation levels, "except in extraordinary cases where a high evidentiary hurdle has been surmounted." Further, DOE noted in the final rule, "The language of the statute makes clear that Congress intended to establish a high bar for DOE to go beyond the levels in ASHRAE Standard 90.1, an intention clearly reflected by its decision to require a heightened evidentiary standard."