US President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to ease a federal rule that requires grocery stores, air-conditioning companies and other businesses to reduce the use of greenhouse gases in cooling equipment. The move marks another major shift in federal climate policy and comes as the White House seeks to address rising concerns about the cost of living ahead of key elections later this year.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, said the former president Joe Biden-era regulation places expensive restrictions on the refrigerants that businesses and consumers can use in refrigerators, freezers and air-conditioning systems, reported Associated Press. Administration officials say that reducing those restrictions will lower operating costs for companies and eventually help consumers through lower prices at grocery stores.
Zeldin announced the planned change ahead of a White House event where Trump is expected to formally unveil the policy. Executives from major grocery chains, including Kroger and Piggly Wiggly, are expected to attend the event.
“This will allow businesses to choose the refrigeration systems that work best for them, saving them billions of dollars,” Zeldin said, as per AP report. “This will be felt directly by American families in lower grocery prices,” he added.
Benefits of proposed rollbacks
The proposed rollback targets regulations linked to hydrofluorocarbons, commonly known as HFCs. These chemicals are widely used in refrigeration and cooling systems. Scientists consider them among the most powerful greenhouse gases because they trap far more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
The Biden administration introduced rules that encouraged businesses to transition to newer refrigerants with lower climate impacts. Those regulations formed part of broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the effects of climate change.
The Trump administration says that the transition has become costly for businesses. Officials say companies often must replace equipment or modify existing systems to comply with the regulations, reported AP. According to the EPA, easing those requirements will provide businesses with more flexibility when choosing cooling technologies.
The announcement comes during a period of economic pressure in the United States. Annual inflation reached 3.8 percent in April, driven partly by higher energy costs linked to the conflict involving Iran and by the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Rising fuel prices have increased transportation and production costs across several sectors, including food distribution.
Although administration officials believe the refrigerant changes could reduce costs, economists and industry analysts have not yet determined how much grocery prices could fall or how quickly consumers might notice any savings.
The proposal also represents a significant policy reversal. During his first term, Trump signed bipartisan legislation in 2020 that aimed to phase down the domestic use of HFCs. That law received support from both environmental organizations and major industry groups, creating a rare area of agreement in the climate debate.
Several environmental advocates say the industry has spent years adapting to the requirements established under the 2020 law and subsequent regulations. They fear that easing the standards could slow progress toward reducing climate pollution, reported AP.
Since returning to office, Trump administration has sought to reduce federal climate policies that it believes place unnecessary burdens on businesses and consumers.
Zeldin has become one of the administration’s strongest critics of climate-focused regulations. He has argued that many environmental rules increase costs without delivering enough economic benefits. The EPA chief recently described the administration’s broader regulatory agenda as putting a “dagger through the heart of climate change religion.”
The EPA is expected to release additional details about the proposal in the coming weeks.