US trade body, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), is reviewing the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to roll back timelines for the phase out of high GWP refrigerants.
The AHRI said the review will cover the EPA’s Reconsideration Rule, which applies to the portion of the AIM Act that restricts the use of high-GWP refrigerants in newly manufactured equipment.
AHRI Sr. vice president of government Affairs, Samantha Slater, said the organisation has well-established positions on the existing rule promulgated in 2023.
Those positions include:
- That delaying the TT Rule transition dates which the reconsideration rule appears to do for some applications, would disrupt multi-year planning and investment by US manufacturers. Companies have already retooled production, certified new equipment, and built supply chains around the current schedule.
- Maintaining the current dates avoids duplicative costs, dual inventories, and confusion in the marketplace. Delays would force manufacturers and distributors to manage redundant product lines and training programs.
- A delay would re-open the US market to outdated, high-GWP equipment, giving foreign manufacturers a competitive advantage. This would penalise American firms that acted in good faith to comply with the AIM Act.
- Certainty under the AIM Act supports stable refrigerant supply, protects domestic jobs, and prevents fragmented state rules. Reopening the rule would invite a patchwork of requirements across jurisdictions.
- Over time, delays would increase costs for manufacturers, distributors, contractors, and end users. Staying on schedule lowers costs, supports investment recovery, and ensures affordable, energy-efficient equipment for consumers.
Slater said it is important for the existing TT Rule to only apply to newly manufactured equipment.
She said existing systems can operate through their full useful life, and components will remain available to ensure that servicing is not disrupted.
“AHRI looks forward to providing additional comments as the proposed rule is reviewed,” she said.