EPA changes are a costly mistake
22nd May 2026
USA: The association representing US HVACR distributors has described the US EPA’s decision to roll-back refrigerant transition deadlines on commercial refrigeration as a costly mistake for the industry.
HARDI, which represents more than 570 US distributors, has said it strongly opposes the changes as it would significantly increase demand for refrigerants that are facing a statutory decrease in supply under the AIM Act.
The revision, announced yesterday, will roll back the maximum 150 GWP limit for refrigeration equipment, which was due to be introduced on January 1 2027, to 2032. The new restrictions apply to refrigeration systems used by supermarkets, retail food establishments, and cold storage warehouses.
HARDI said the changes undermine the market certainty needed to support the ongoing HFC phase down and risk increasing refrigerant demand beyond what the industry is legally allowed to supply.
According to HARDI estimates, the increased demand for these refrigerants could cost the refrigeration industry nearly $8bn in refrigerant costs alone, with economic ripple effects increasing the total cost to $13bn. HARDI warned that the impacts will not be limited to supermarkets or cold storage facilities, but will affect the broader HVACR market, including contractors, distributors, building owners, manufacturers, and consumers.
HARDI’s analysis indicates that the changes will likely produce the opposite of their stated goal. Rather than lowering costs or easing the transition, extending the use of high-GWP refrigerants in major commercial refrigeration applications will increase demand for refrigerants whose supply is already being reduced by law, putting upward pressure on prices and increasing the likelihood of shortages across the HVACR market.
Describing the decision as deeply disappointing, HARDI CEO Talbot Gee said: “The final rule appears to reflect the preferences of a narrow segment of the food retail sector that supported the changes over the well-being of the most-affected HVACR businesses and their customers. That is not how sound rulemaking should work.”
HARDI said the decision is particularly concerning because many food retailers are already moving toward lower-impact refrigeration systems, and advocacy efforts to delay the transition are increasingly disconnected from the direction many businesses have already chosen.
It also points out that the existing rule only applies to new equipment; no business is required to replace systems under the AIM Act.
“The HVACR industry was preparing for this transition even before the AIM Act was signed by President Trump in 2020,” Gee added. “So it is frustrating to see those concerns sidelined in favour of changes that will increase costs for everyone. A responsible transition can’t happen smoothly with last-minute policy changes that upend the market.”
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