New York passed a rule late December 23 that may just result in refrigerant shortages. In a press release that was issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the state announced it had finally finalized its regulations regarding HFCs. Those in the industry and other stakeholders had been anxiously waiting for these rules, which turned out to be far more restrictive than any required in the AIM Act. States can pass more stringent HFC regulations since there is no federal preemption of state rules or laws under the AIM Act. So, that’s exactly what New York did. These new regulations restrict the sale of bulk refrigerants, which is concerning to the HVACR industry. Specifically, this concerns HARDI, who said in a statement that their worry is that the initial prohibition date for bulk refrigerants began January 9, 2025. Additionally, some are already reporting difficulty finding the necessary refrigerant to repair refrigeration equipment since the rule was passed. Due to this, HARDI CEO, Talbot Gee, said that if a commercial system were to break down, it could now remain out of service for days, or even weeks. Likely resulting in businesses being unable to sell many perishable items.

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