In a letter sent to the leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, 32 members of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, urging support for proposed federal legislation to establish a national structure for the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants.
Fluorocarbon Technology Development
U.S. companies that produce and use fluorocarbons have been preparing for a transition for more than a decade
Noting that, “U.S. companies that produce and use fluorocarbons have been preparing for a transition from HFCs for more than a decade, investing billions in R&D to be the first to bring to market next-generation fluorocarbon products and equipment,” the letter expresses concern that while “American companies have led the world in fluorocarbon technology development for decades…that leadership – and the advantages it confers to the U.S. economy – is jeopardized by the lack of a federal policy for HFCs.”
The letter warns that inaction on the part of federal policymakers would result in “foreign competitors…poised to fill the technology void and displace American companies in a global fluorocarbon market expected to reach $1 trillion in size.”
Benefits of phasing down HFCs
“Federal legislation phasing-down HFCs represents a chance to put America first, and to keep American workers at the forefront of this important global industry,” the letter states, noting that, “A recent industry economic study showed that a new federal standard for the phase-down of HFCs would create 33,000 new U.S. manufacturing jobs, add $12.5 billion per year to the U.S. economy, and expand U.S. exports in this sector by 25 percent. Failure to do so will cost U.S. businesses and jobs.”
The House and Senate are considering the introduction of legislation to phase down the use of HFCs, which are potent greenhouse gases.