HFC substitute refrigerants containing POE lubricants seem to be the future of the industry.
Utilities getting into the HVAC business are certainly nothing new. It has been going on for years. The typical scenario is this: A local utility - usually a gas company - decides to open up an HVAC service branch since it already has a full staff of service technicians to assist customers with fall startups, to fix gas leaks, etc. So why not make a little money while promoting the sale of gas products and making itself look friendlier by selling economically priced whole-house service contracts?
Gas companies getting into the HVAC service and installation business have been the bane of independent HVAC service contractors all over North America for several years now.