HARDI Meets with California Energy Commission to Discuss Proposed Equipment Sales Tracking Regulation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Madison Romero, Public Affairs Associate
Email: mromero@hardinet.org
Direct: 614.345.4328

HARDI Meets with California Energy Commission to Discuss Proposed Equipment Sales Tracking Regulation

Columbus, OH — October 21, 2026 — Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) met with California Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister to discuss concerns with proposed regulations that would require detailed reporting of certain HVAC and water heating equipment sales throughout California.

HARDI leadership was joined by local distributor members who would be directly affected by the proposed requirements. The meeting provided an opportunity for industry representatives to explain the practical challenges of implementing the regulation and present an alternative approach that would allow the California Energy Commission (CEC) to collect useful market data without requiring the disclosure of sensitive business information.

The CEC's proposal would require distributors, retailers, and some manufacturers to submit reports detailing individual equipment sales, including customer information, model and brand information, and business identification numbers. HARDI has raised concerns that the proposed requirements would create distrust in the industry as companies would be forced to turn over sensitive information about their customers that California wants to use for potential energy code enforcement. The proposal creates significant administrative burdens, introduces confidentiality risks, and places new compliance obligations on businesses without meaningfully addressing the challenges of local permit enforcement.

Rather than requiring detailed tracking of individual equipment transactions, HARDI previously submitted an alternative proposal that would provide the CEC with aggregated market data to support its energy planning objectives while protecting proprietary distributor and customer information.

"We appreciated the opportunity to meet with Commissioner McAllister and explain how these requirements would affect local industry," said Alex Ayers, Vice President of Government Affairs at HARDI. "Our goal is to work toward a solution that doesn’t create unnecessary costs or expose sensitive business data."

The participation of California-based distributors helped illustrate how the proposed reporting requirements could affect day-to-day business operations, including the resources needed to collect, organize, and submit sales information.

HARDI continues to advocate for an aggregated reporting framework that balances the CEC's data collection objectives with the operational realities of the HVACR distribution industry.

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About HARDI

HARDI (Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International) is the single voice of wholesale distribution within the North American and Latin American HVACR markets.

A non-profit association, HARDI serves its members through government affairs and advocacy efforts, market intelligence and benchmarking, training programs, and world-class events. HARDI proudly represents more than 570 distributor members and their 5,000+ branch locations, and close to 600 suppliers, manufacturer representatives, and service vendors. HARDI Distributor members serve installation and service/replacement contractors in residential and commercial markets, as well as commercial/industrial and institutional maintenance staff. HARDI Affiliate members market, distribute, and support heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration equipment, parts, and supplies.

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