US Congress considering HFC controls

Abstract

Legislation to phase down—but not halt—US production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is gaining steam in Congress. H.R. 5544 in the House of Representatives and its Senate companion bill, S. 2754, have bipartisan support. Used as refrigerants in applications from air conditioners to commercial freezers, HFCs are potent greenhouse gases that have been widely used as substitutes for ozone-depleting chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). HFC emissions are increasing. The House and Senate bills hew closely to provisions in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments that led the US to phase out production of ozone-depleting chemicals. The legislation would mandate the Environmental Protection Agency to create a system of allowances for HFC manufacture or import that companies could buy and sell. US production would phase down over 15 years, stopping at 15% of current production in 2036. If enacted, the legislation would boost the market for hydrofluoroolefins, a new generation of refrigerants. Currently