EPA said its Tuesday proposal to relax 2023 rules phasing down climate superpollutants used in cooling and refrigeration would save consumers money.
But U.S. manufacturers disagreed, saying they’ve already invested the money to build cleaner air conditioning systems — so retail prices won’t fall.
Companies have been manufacturing the next generation of cooling technology to prepare for the Biden-era rule, which was supposed to take effect next year by limiting the amount of hydrofluorocarbons that are released into the atmosphere. The chemicals can be hundreds of thousands of times more climate-forcing than carbon dioxide.
But the draft rule that EPA released Tuesday would allow the grocery and frozen foods industries to buy equipment that uses HFCs for up to six years longer, until 2032. Manufacturers say the reprieve would gum up their supply chains and potentially require them to increase prices to offset wasted investment.
