Trump Reverses Biden-Era Refrigerant Regulations

On May 21, 2026, President Donald Trump announced a decision aimed at cutting down on regulations that he argued were a burden on consumers. This action rolled back restrictions put in place during the Biden administration regarding refrigerants.

“Today is my honor to be discussing the taking of a very historic action to substantially lower costs for consumers, to protect hundreds of thousands of jobs, and save Americans well over $2 billion a year by officially terminating the Biden administration’s ridiculous regulations imposing costly requirements on refrigerators and air conditioners,” he stated during the signing of revisions from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

As part of updating the 2023 Technology Transitions Rule, the Trump administration has also extended deadlines concerning the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are used in refrigerants, to make them more affordable, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.

Additionally, at the suggestion of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Trump is looking to revise the 2024 Emissions Reduction and Reclamation Rule, which includes requirements for leak repairs on many large refrigeration systems, described in the fact sheet as “crippling.”

“The Biden EPA faceplanted when trying to jam through their restrictions. Americans who wanted to be able to fix their equipment were instead being required to buy far more costly new equipment,” Zeldin commented.

During the announcement, grocery store owners and executives were present, and the president highlighted potential savings for these businesses.

“An orderly transition of equipment reduces both capital costs and operating costs, and at the end of the day that’s good for consumers because we’re able to take that and put that into lowering prices,” said Kroger CEO Greg Foran.

Kevin McDaniel, owner of Piggly Wiggly stores, also mentioned the adverse impact the previous regulations could have had on independent grocery stores.

“We want to thank President Trump for rolling this terrible Biden legislation back because without it there would have been a lot of independents out of business. It was thrown together too fast. The technology’s not there yet,” McDaniel noted.

Throughout his remarks, Trump reiterated the high costs and inefficiencies associated with alternative solutions to the rolled-back regulations.