With New Regulations on the Horizon, the Cold Storage Industry Will Need to Adapt
As the EPA and other regulatory bodies discuss hydrofluorocarbons and other refrigerants with “global warming potential,” it will be up to those in the cold storage industry to future-proof their operations and focus on data to maintain profitability. It is safe to say that the cold storage industry, and how their facilities operate, have reached a […]
2017 Sees the Finalization of New WICF Regulations for Energy Efficiency; Compliance by 2020
On September 7th, 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy put into place a new set of standards that revolve around walk-in cooler and freezer efficiency metrics. These new rules are now officially law. This passage concludes a three-year process that saw much back and forth, and faced doubts over whether it would ever actually materialize. […]
Recently Advanced Farm Bill Could Have Wide-reaching Impact on Produce & Floral Industries
The national conversation surrounding the 2018 Farm Bill, advanced in the Senate on June 28th by an 86-11 vote, will likely revolve around the highly political topics as the bill continues through the legislative process. Topics such as SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which could see a congressional war over work requirements to receive […]
On #EEDay2019, Polls Show Mixed Reactions to Energy-Saving Habits
So, as it turns out, there may actually be three guarantees in this word: death, taxes, and people going as far to cut their carbon footprint as convenience let them. According to a poll conducted by the AP-NORC, people are very much influenced by whether an energy-saving habit can conceivably fit into their lifestyle and […]
Massachusetts Wants 80% Clean Energy by 2050, and New Regulations are Coming in 2018
In response to a stunning 2016 ruling by the state’s Supreme Judicial Court, in which the court sided with an environmental group claiming Massachusetts didn’t do enough to strive for its 2008 energy goals, the state set forth new regulations last month. Although it took a proverbial fire lit under its tail, Massachusetts ramped up […]
Lights Out for Expanded Lighting Energy Efficiency?
If you’ll excuse the pun, a threat does indeed exist against the legal requirement for larger swathes of lightbulbs to be energy efficient, and it’s no laughing matter. The Trump administration is seeking to undo an Obama-era regulation that applies to specialty lightbulbs, leaving it out of the upcoming 2020 federal efficiency standards. These types […]
Curious where your state ranks in average energy costs?
As we roll through the dog days of summer, air conditioners are working hard everywhere, and businesses with refrigeration systems are scrimping pennies to battle the heat to maintain temperature in their cold spaces. Whether the walk-in coolers (or freezers) are storing soft drinks, fresh produce, or frozen proteins, specific temperatures need to be met […]
Governor Wolf Establishes Statewide Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Goals in PA
The beauty of undertaking energy goals is that it is never just a 1:1 trade-off. There are numerous ancillary benefits, ranging from the obvious, giant elephant in the room that is the reduction of carbon emissions all the way to improved worker happiness because their employer’s heating and cooling systems run more precisely and efficiently. […]
FDA Provides an Update on the new Produce Safety Rule
As the full, national rollout of the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA)—a sweeping reform of food safety laws designed to better prevent issues as opposed to simply responding to them—continues, some of the larger regulatory pieces are taking their time in being implemented. One of these pieces, and arguably one of the most impactful […]
As Companies Continue to Alter Their Processes to Adhere to FSMA, Some Remain Skeptics
Originally passed in 2010, it took the next six years to develop the full breadth of the act. The FSMA was legislation driven by the Food & Drug Administration with the goal of having companies be better equipped to prevent food-borne illness as opposed to just reacting to contamination. On January 26, 2018, the industry […]