Washington, D.C., has become the proving ground for a groundbreaking effort to curb harmful greenhouse gases.
According to a news release, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), in partnership with Hudson Technologies, Inc., has launched the nation’s first Refrigerant Recovery and Reclamation (RR&R) Pilot — a program designed to turn a costly climate challenge into an opportunity for local businesses.
Unlike traditional utility programs that only measure energy savings, this initiative targets greenhouse gas reductions by incentivizing contractors to properly recover refrigerants instead of venting them into the atmosphere.
Officials said hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the common refrigerants used in air conditioning and refrigeration, can have thousands of times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.
The new pilot arms District HVAC contractors with training, proper storage containers, and logistics support. Hudson is also providing financial incentives on top of DCSEU’s payments, ensuring that best practices no longer burden contractors but instead create a revenue stream.
Early results are already in.
Officials said Hugee Corporation, a Certified Business Enterprise that has operated in D.C. since 1984, recovered and returned more than 200 pounds of refrigerant under the program. That effort prevented the equivalent of 400,000 pounds of CO2 emissions — the same as avoiding the burning of 20,000 gallons of gasoline.
“This partnership ensures that refrigerants are handled responsibly within the District and kept out of the atmosphere, directly aligning with the District’s climate action goals, while also supporting contractors to ensure that recovery is happening,” said Ben Burdick, DCSEU’s managing director.
A 2020 EPA study revealed that only 1.6% of refrigerants sold in the U.S. came from reclaimed sources, largely due to logistical and financial hurdles. The RR&R Pilot, developed with technical support from the nonprofit VEIC, aims to change that by making recovery and reclamation viable at scale.
The pilot also integrates with existing DCSEU programs like the Affordable Home Electrification Program, which already decommissions older HVAC systems. By tying refrigerant recovery into these efforts, the initiative reduces emissions, supports local contractors, and strengthens the District’s push toward a cleaner energy future.
Since 2011, officials said DCSEU programs have helped District residents and businesses save more than $1.5 billion in lifetime energy costs and prevented seven million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
The RR&R Pilot adds another tool to that mission.
Hudson Technologies, one of the nation’s largest EPA-certified refrigerant reclaimers, sees the partnership as a model for utilities across the country.
“Increasing awareness around the importance of recovering refrigerant from every unit, and providing incentives to contractors for doing so is key to expanding the growth of reclamation practices and we are excited to see the early results of this innovative program,” said Kate Houghton, Hudson’s senior vice president of sales and marketing.