The EPA just closed public comments on proposed changes to its Technology Transitions rule — and the HVACR industry had a lot to say. Nearly 2,300 comments poured in after EPA proposed extending certain compliance deadlines under the AIM Act, including a big one: removing the installation cutoff for residential and light commercial systems built before 2025. If finalized, that change would give contractors more time to install remaining R-410A equipment already sitting in the supply chain. Contractor groups like ACCA had already asked that the EPA remove the rule — warning that installation deadlines could strand legal inventory, disrupt jobs, and create financial risk — all without reducing emissions. ACCA also raised concerns about states moving faster than the federal timeline, potentially forcing contractors into a patchwork of conflicting refrigerant rules. Manufacturers and trade groups aren’t fully aligned. AHRI, Copeland, and Lennox urged EPA to keep the original transition schedule for commerical refrigeration, arguing delays could drive up refrigerant prices and punish companies that already invested in A2L systems. Others — including Daikin, Carrier, Rheem, Trane, and HARDI — support removing installation deadlines but differ on how far flexibility should go, especially around VRF systems and replacement condensing units. One thing nearly everyone agrees on? The industry needs clarity — EPA isn’t expected to finalize the rule until sometime in 2026, leaving contractors stuck in limbo heading into the next compliance deadline.

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