Heating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) announced today that the U.S. District Court of Appeals has approved a settlement in the long-running lawsuit regarding Regional Efficiency Standards for residential gas furnaces and central air-conditioners which were finalized by the Department of Energy (DOE) in October 2011.

The court stated, “The direct final rule, 76 Fed. Reg. 37408 (June 27, 2011), and notice of effective date, 76 Fed. Reg. 67037 (Oct. 31, 2011), as they relate to energy conservation standards for non-weatherized gas furnaces, including but not limited to the Department of Energy’s determination that such furnaces constitute a single class of products for purposes of 42 U.S.C. §§ 6295(q)(1)(B), 6295(o)(4), are hereby vacated and remanded to the Department of Energy for notice and comment rulemaking in accordance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.”

You can find the settlement agreement here and the court’s order here.