Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine September 2026

HVACR NewsMagazine September 2026

State National Chapter News

Signed into law by President Trump in 2020, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act’s HFC phasedown schedule is not expected to change, so every pound of refrigerant consumed by these outdated supermarket systems will effectively remove several pounds of R-32 or R-454B from the market. Prices will inevitably rise, and every home and business owner will pay more. The refrigeration sector will suffer too. While these changes will result in significant short-term savings for grocers needing a system replacement, all refrigerant users will pay more in the long run. HARDI estimates $13 billion in added costs for the refrigeration subsector alone. The bigger threat: a rushed transition to A3 refrigerants Tighter supply and higher prices will also encourage states to rush a transition to A3 refrigerants like propane, which are highly flammable and nowhere near ready for mass adoption. Even as contractors adjust to the A2L transition, New York, California, and Washington have already empowered their regulators to ban A2L equipment, with deadlines as soon as next year. The refrigeration changes in EPA’s rule will provide ammunition for advocates seeking new refrigerant regulations in at least a dozen other states. As that patchwork expands, pressure for another national transition will grow. While ACCA believes another national refrigerant transition could be avoided under the prior rule, some industry experts believe these changes will make a

national A3 transition inevitable as soon as 2032. That’s the outcome this petition is meant to head off. What the HVACR industry is asking the court to find. The joint petition rests on two arguments. First, the AIM Act provides for a one-year waiting period before deadline changes take effect, which puts the rule’s 60-day effective date at odds with the plain meaning of the statute. Second, EPA’s analysis was arbitrary and capricious: the agency never clearly explained how it weighed the AIM Act’s statutory factors or why such a long delay is warranted for technologies it has already deemed acceptable. Fighting for contractors on multiple fronts members highlighted minimizing disruption from refrigerant transitions as one of their top policy priorities. EPA’s action will destabilize the refrigerant market in several ways, so this week’s intervention is one front in that fight. To head off a patchwork of state rules, ACCA is also calling on Congress to add federal preemption under the AIM Act. Finally, the association is partnering with Allied Contracting Organizations and contractor champions to fight these conflicting state regulations in New York, Washington, and wherever they emerge. "This article was originally published by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) on the ACCA HVAC Blog, the online resource for HVACR contractors to access industry insights, technical guidance, and business strategies. Contractors can explore more articles like this, along with exclusive tools, training, and member-only resources, by logging in to their ACCA account or joining today at www.acca.org." ACCA contractor