President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Thursday that the administration will roll back two Biden-era EPA rules regarding refrigerant greenhouse gases [1], [2].
The move targets the cost of living for American families by attempting to reduce the price of groceries and home air-conditioning units [1], [3].
Speaking from the Oval Office at 11 a.m. local time, the officials said that loosening these specific environmental regulations would provide immediate economic relief [2], [4]. The administration identified two separate EPA actions from the previous presidency that are now slated for revision [1].
According to officials, the existing rules on refrigerant gases created unnecessary costs for businesses and consumers [3], [5]. By reducing these requirements, the administration said it intends to make cooling systems more affordable for homeowners, and lower the overhead for food distributors [1], [5].
Administrator Zeldin said the action is part of a broader effort to right previous policy wrongs and remove regulatory burdens that he believes hindered economic growth [4]. The announcement on May 21, 2026 [1], signals a shift back toward deregulation in the environmental sector.
The administration did not specify the exact timeline for the implementation of these changes, though the announcement marks the formal beginning of the rollback process [2], [4].
“The administration will roll back two Biden-era EPA rules regarding refrigerant greenhouse gases.”
This policy shift represents a prioritization of immediate consumer costs over long-term greenhouse gas mitigation. By rolling back refrigerant standards, the administration is reducing the regulatory pressure on the HVAC and food cold-chain industries, which may lower prices but could potentially increase the atmospheric release of potent warming agents.
