The EPA is amending rules to extend compliance deadlines for phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in residential air conditioning, cold storage, and retail food refrigeration. The administration argues these changes will lower costs for businesses and consumers by reducing immediate regulatory pressure. Critics and industry leaders warn that delaying the transition to low-global-warming-potential refrigerants may actually increase costs. Because the overall supply of HFCs is still decreasing under the AIM Act, maintaining demand for old gases could drive up prices and stall the adoption of more sustainable cooling technologies.
