The Trump administration is set to loosen federal rules requiring grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse gases used in cooling equipment, with officials stating the change aims to lower grocery costs for consumers.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the Biden-era rule imposes costly restrictions that limit the types of refrigerants U.S. businesses and families can use. The new rule will "allow businesses to choose the refrigeration systems that work best for them, saving them billions of dollars," Zeldin said in a statement released before a White House event Thursday where President Trump was scheduled to announce the changes.

Executives from Kroger, Piggly Wiggly and other grocery chains were expected to join Trump at the announcement. The administration is attempting to address affordability concerns as inflation reached 3.8% annually in April, with voter concerns over the cost of living remaining high.

The action represents a reversal from Trump's first term, when he signed a bipartisan 2020 law aimed at reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) - greenhouse gases that are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide and considered a major driver of global warming. That law brought environmentalists and major business groups into rare alignment on climate policy.

It remains unclear how much or how quickly the loosening of refrigerant rules might impact grocery prices. The EPA action is part of broader efforts by the second Trump administration to roll back climate-related regulations, with Zeldin previously stating his plans would put a "dagger through the heart of climate change religion."

Environmentalists have criticized the administration's plans, arguing that the proposed rule would increase climate pollution while disrupting a years-long industry transition to alternative coolants as replacements for HFCs.