Senate reviewing feedback on draft AIM Act

The U.S. Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works is reviewing comments submitted by NAFEM and others to the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act plan to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) over the next 15 years. The Act is projected to create 33 million new jobs, $12.5 billion in new investment, and a 25 percent boost in exports.

In its comments, NAFEM said “The Act will establish a federal framework for guiding the commercial food equipment industry through a transition out of HFCs and into next-generation refrigerant technologies – many of which are made and manufactured here in the United States. The AIM Act helps our industry maintain its technology leadership, which in turn helps American manufacturers expand their share of the global market.”

According to the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), the AIM Act supports a transition to next-generation refrigerant technology in three ways:

• Decreasing HFC production and consumption;
• Authorizing EPA to establish standards for managing HFCs to ensure an adequate supply for serving existing equipment; and,
• Establishing sector-based use restrictions to facilitate smooth transitions to new technologies.

More information is available at aimforjobs.org and in AHRI’s fact sheet available here.