COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Heating, Air-conditioning, & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI), Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC), and Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) today announced they have filed a challenge to parts of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Technology Transitions Reconsideration Rule. The amended provisions increase demand for hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in the supermarket, retail food, and cold storage sectors as the supply is being reduced by law, violating the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act and threatening to destabilize the refrigerant market. HARDI, PHCC, and ACCA represent wholesale distributors and contractors in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industry.

"For the EPA to completely abandon the timelines for transitioning to next-generation products proposed by industry in 2021 misses the mark," said Talbot Gee, CEO of HARDI. "The final reconsideration rule's treatment of commercial refrigeration is legally flawed, economically reckless, and directly at odds with the AIM Act. The EPA ignored industry data and over a decade of industry work to prepare for this transition, in violation of the AIM Act's requirements. HARDI will always push back on agencies that violate the law in writing regulations affecting our industry."

The joint petitioners strongly oppose the decision to extend deadlines for major commercial refrigeration applications, thereby allowing the continued manufacture of new systems using high-GWP refrigerants. The AIM Act requires a statutory phasedown of HFC supply across the economy, meaning quantities will continue to decline, while the final rule increases demand for refrigerants.

"PHCC members are working hands-on and helping customers navigate refrigerant changes every day," said Cindy Sheridan, CEO of PHCC. "Allowing legacy refrigerants to be used longer in new commercial refrigeration systems creates confusion for the contractors who install and service this equipment and hurts consumers. The EPA's own analysis projects a 12- to 24-percent increase in U.S. refrigerant prices by 2029 as a result of these delays, since the AIM Act will continue reducing the supply of these older refrigerants to support the domestic production of next-generation refrigerants."

By allowing extended use of legacy HFCs in retail food refrigeration and cold storage, the final rule reduces the availability of refrigerants for other sectors, such as residential air conditioning.

"While ACCA appreciates EPA eliminating the install deadline for R-410A split-system equipment, the rule's delayed refrigeration transition will significantly increase the demand for the limited supply of HFC refrigerants and will drive up costs for contractors and their customers," said Martin Hoover, Interim President and CEO of ACCA. "This change will also increase pressure for a rushed transition to highly flammable A3 refrigerants and encourage a patchwork of state regulations."

The joint petitioners support EPA's decision to provide relief from the installation prohibition for existing split-system residential and light commercial air conditioners and heat pumps, a policy the organizations have long advocated for to prevent stranded inventory and avoid disruption for distributors, contractors, builders, and consumers.

The joint petitioners believe the final rule's rationale rests on the false premise that the original Technology Transitions Rule had already increased grocery consumers' costs. The commercial refrigeration restrictions at issue had not yet taken effect when EPA proposed the reconsideration rule and could not have been responsible for higher grocery prices.

The trade associations emphasized that the original Technology Transitions Rule applied to new equipment and did not require grocery stores, cold storage operators, or other businesses to replace existing systems. Existing equipment could continue to be used and serviced.

About HARDI: https://hardinet.org/about/

About PHCC: https://www.phccweb.org/about/

About ACCA: https://www.acca.org/about-acca

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SOURCE HARDI