What Trump’s EPA pick could mean for contractors amid HFC phasedown

There’s a new wildcard in the mix of the HFC phasedown: Donald Trump’s November 11 nomination of Lee Zeldin to run the Environmental Protection Agency. 

The big picture: December 27 will mark four years since the EPA got the green light to phase down the consumption of HFCs, including R-410A, and facilitate the transition to low-GWP refrigerants. The latest

What’s happening: Zeldin, a former congressman with a mixed environmental record, is set to take the helm of the EPA, which will give him influence over the remainder of the phasedown.  

• Zoom in: While in Congress, he was part of the “Climate Solutions Caucus,” a bipartisan group balancing economic well-being with environmental stewardship. 
• However, he voted against the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.

State of play: Zeldin hasn’t publicly commented on the HFC phasedown since being nominated, so let’s consider some scenarios. 

• No change. It’s possible to envision a steady future for contractors, considering Trump himself signed the AIM Act in 2020, kicking off the phasedown.
• Some change. Zeldin’s position will allow him to amend and rescind any previously published EPA rules he wants — through a formal process involving public comments.  
• Significant change. Despite Zeldin’s past pro-environmental decisions, Trump could pressure him to target the phasedown should he make good on his pledge to eliminate “ten old regulations for every new one added.” 

What they’re saying: “You’ll recall that the AIM Act was enacted during the first Trump administration, so I don’t expect to see a fundamental reversal of the HFC phasedown,” writes Sean Robertson, ACCA’s VP of Advocacy, in an email. 

• “As one of President-elect Trump’s more centrist cabinet-level picks, I believe Zeldin will be receptive to concerns from all segments of [the HVAC] industry,” he adds.

Zoom out: HVAC-industry groups, including ACCA, recently applauded the EPA for making a few contractor-friendly changes to its latest rule, including scrapping a requirement to track all refrigerant cylinders with QR codes. 

Of note: Although Trump nominated Zeldin, he still needs to be confirmed by the Senate — sometime in January — before officially stepping into the role.

What’s next: It’s rare for the Senate to reject Cabinet picks, so if and when confirmed, Zeldin’s remarks that day could offer clues into what’s ahead for the EPA — and the remainder of the phasedown. 

• “We look forward to working with Mr. Zeldin to provide relief from certain details of the Biden Administration’s AIM Act rules,” Robertson says.
• Zeldin’s team didn’t respond to a request for comment.