Agency official says reforms will save Americans $2.4 billion annually, criticizes Biden-era refrigerant rule

An agency official criticized a Biden-era "technology transition" rule and said reforms announced in the remarks will deliver "significant financial relief," saving American families and businesses more than $2.4 billion a year.

The speaker told the audience the earlier rule "forced companies to adopt specific high-cost refrigerants," which raised the price of transporting and storing refrigerants and other goods. "Many grocery stores and restaurants had no choice but to replace their refrigerators entirely," the official said, adding that "they went out of business, half of them," and that Americans faced higher grocery prices and reduced access to critical medical supplies.

"Today's reforms will deliver significant financial relief, saving American families and businesses more than 2.4 billion dollars," the agency official said, adding that the changes would lower grocery and transportation costs and reduce air‑conditioning expenses "at no detriment at all to our country." The speaker also characterized their administration's broader deregulatory agenda as having "already saved our country an estimated $1.2 trillion."

The transcript provides these figures and assertions as statements by the speaker; it does not include supporting data, citations, or an identified statute or regulatory docket tied to the "technology transition rule." The remarks in the transcript do not set out specific rule text, regulatory citations, or implementation steps for the reforms described.

The speaker framed the changes as part of a policy goal to "completely ending Biden's ... regulatory policies" and delivering financial relief to Americans. The transcript records no formal vote, regulatory text, or agency document tied to the claims in these remarks.