EPA Taps the Brakes on Refrigerant Transition

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency will undertake 31 actions as part of a significant day of deregulation aimed at advancing President Trump’s Day One executive orders and supporting economic recovery efforts.

One of the actions directly affecting the HVACR industry is the reconsideration of the Technology Transition rule, which Zeldin said, “forces companies to use certain technologies that increased costs on food at grocery stores and semiconductor manufacturing.”

The Technology Transition final rule, part of the AIM Act, was released by EPA in October 2023 (and revised in December 2023) and restricts the use of higher-GWP HFCs in new refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump (RACHP) equipment. For stationary air conditioning and heat pumps, the rule set a 700 GWP limit for most new comfort cooling equipment, including chillers, effective January 1, 2025. This requirement effectively ended the production of most comfort cooling systems containing the high-GWP refrigerant, R-410A, by that date.

The rule also mandates a 150 or 300 GWP limit for most new commercial refrigeration systems used in supermarkets and convenience stores, with compliances dates ranging from 2026 to 2028, depending on the size of the equipment. Several trade groups filed a lawsuit challenging the EPA’s regulation, arguing that the timeline violated the AIM Act and was arbitrary and capricious, meaning the agency failed to adequately consider key factors when developing the timelines.

It is unclear what impact this “reconsideration” will have, as most HVAC manufacturers have already transitioned their comfort cooling systems to A2L refrigerants in order to comply with previous requirements. With these changes already in place, there will be questions as to how the new rule could affect future product development.

Nevertheless, Zeldin is taking a victory lap, saying, “Today is the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen. We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down cost of living for American families, unleash American energy, bring auto jobs back to the U.S. and more.”

This article will be updated as new information becomes available.