Trump eases Biden-era refrigeration regs

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that his Environmental Protection Agency had revised environmental regulations previously imposed by the Biden administration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerators and air conditioners. Those provisions were originally designed to regulate hydrofluorocarbons emitted by the appliances.

What kinds of changes were made? The EPA extended compliance deadlines outlined in the 2023 Technology Transitions Rule. Trump also proposed changes to the 2024 Emissions Reduction and Reclamation Rule, a provision that regulates how leak repairs to refrigeration appliances are conducted. The proposed changes would exempt all road refrigerant transport appliances from the provision, removing burdens for owners and major U.S. operators of these appliances, according to the EPA. The EPA argued that the regulations were unnecessary for the affected appliances because they posed a low risk to human health.

Why are these changes being made now? In an Oval Office news conference alongside EPA Lee Zeldin, Trump on Thursday said the changes would save Americans roughly $2 billion a year. Trump said the previous regulations were ridiculous, unnecessary, and made the appliances worse. The president insisted the changes would ultimately result in lower grocery prices.

What are critics saying? Not everyone agrees with the president’s assessment. The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, which represents more than 300 HVAC and refrigeration companies, argued in a statement that the changes would inject uncertainty into the industry and could result in higher prices, according to the Associated Press.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report about EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin defending other administrative actions on climate change measures.