State Director Report Winter 2026

NPGA State Director Report

Winter 2026 

NPGA hosted its Winter Board of Directors & Related Committee Meetings in Henderson, Nevada January 27-29, 2026. Business at the meeting included Committee and Section meetings; policy and supply discussions; and guest speakers presenting on a variety on timely topics, including featured guest speaker Cinch Munson of the World Liquid Gas Association, who presented on the opportunities and challenges of the global market.  Attendees also enjoyed social events and much more.

Here are some of the key updates from the meetings:

Section Meetings

Past Chair Brian Brooks presided over the Marketers Section meeting. Tucker Perkins, President and CEO of PERC delivered an update from PERC. Mr. Perkins emphasized the importance of safety and training for marketers. He also discussed the opportunities and challenges the propane industry faces with power gen technology. Eric Sears, NPGA Senior Manager for State Association Relations, moderated a Supply Interruption Panel featuring Mark Porth of CHS, JD Buss of Westlark Advisors, Aaron Huizenga of Lakes Gas, Brian Brooks of Brooks Gas, and Ben Nussdorf of NPGA. The panel discussed strategies, challenges, and opportunities for marketers in preparation for and during supply interruptions.

The Marketers Section also held in-person district breakout meetings. The districts were grouped by geography and by similarities in legislative and regulatory challenges. Past Chair Brooks announced that the nominations for the intrastate and interstate marketer board positions are now open. District summaries will be emailed to the Marketers Section. 

The Producers & Wholesalers/Transportation & Storage Sections met, and Chair Frank Long moderated discussions on the section’s business.  Discussions covered tariffs on aluminum and steel and NPGA’s appeal of FERC’s retroactive billing of pipeline fees.  New business topics included unlifted allocation fees, communication strategies with shippers and pipelines, and refinery closures and their effects in California. The Transportation discussion focused on rising costs and two items from FMCSA. FMCSA is seeking to revert to a 30-day declaration period from the current 14-day period and is considering a pilot split-duty program. Members noted that the split-duty pilot program needs volunteers and further refinement; more information will be available later in 2026. 

Committee Meetings

The Governmental Affairs Committee received updates from NPGA staff and discussed current advocacy issues affecting the propane industry.  Ben Nussdorf shared updates on the FMCSA Hours of Service Proposal, while Michael Baker provided an outlook on the current state of federal government funding. 

As is customary, the Committee broke into three task force sessions – federal legislative, federal regulatory, and state.

Federal Legislative Breakout: This task force covered a number of topics during its session. NPGA staff provided a more in-depth understanding of the dynamics at play within the House and Senate chambers, with a particular focus on the House Republicans’ dwindling majority.  This led to further speculation on what could occur during the 2026 midterm elections. Members had questions about the Energy Choice Act and its current status. Staff reported that it currently had 155 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and had passed out of committee.  The next step would be floor consideration.

Federal Regulatory Breakout: The Regulatory Task Force discussed its recent actions to engage the Trump Administration on a variety of issues impacting the propane industry. NPGA staff outlined key advocacy priorities for the FMCSA, FERC, DOE, PHMSA, and STB, with a particularized focus on the 5 Year Oil Pipeline Index, Hours-of-Service Emergency Waivers, and the pending merger between the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Railroads.

State Breakout: During the state breakout session, NPGA provided an overview of the laws enacted in 2025 to strengthen energy choice protections for buildings and engine applications across numerous states, including Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, and Maine. The industry also secured wins to delay and eliminate Clean Heat Standards in Massachusetts and Vermont. The discussion touched on opportunities to grow gallons at data centers when propane is used for bridge and backup power applications, as well as propane-air systems and synthetic natural gas facilities. Furthermore, members of the task force talked about zero-emission space and water heating rulemakings in California and Maryland, and state efforts to increase English proficiency standards for CDL drivers.

The PropanePAC hosted a reception for all winter board meeting attendees, where they enjoyed refreshments, local magicians, and an overview of the PAC. The PropanePAC Steering Committee met to update prior authorizations for 2026 and discuss PropanePAC with new donors. During the Board of Directors Meeting, Chair Andrew Vogl of Ray Murray Inc. provided an update on PropanePAC, noting that the committee was on track to meet its overall goals for both the PAC and the Administrative Fund. Vogl also thanked members for their involvement, noting a consistent rise in the number of members in the PropanePAC giving clubs.

The PropanePAC was pleased to host Chris Brooks, a former NV state senator, and Shelly Capurro, a lobbyist for the NV Propane Dealers Association, for its Propane, Politics, and Coffee event. Brooks and Capurro discussed the importance of energy choice and the renewable energy sector, then answered members’ questions. Sponsored by Bergquist Inc., the event attracted over 100 attendees and gave members the opportunity to discuss the industry’s top priorities.

The Supply and Logistics Committee heard an update from RBN Energy Managing Director of Business Development Scott Potter, as well as an update on emergency hours-of-service waivers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and a discussion on the 5 Year Oil Pipeline Index from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Legal Action Committee provided updates on the various litigation activities that NPGA is involved in to advance and defend the propane industry. NPGA General Counsel Benjamin Nussdorf and NPGA Associate General Counsel Kate Gaziano shared updates on the Second Circuit oral argument on January 30^th in the New York state gas bans case and the Washington State Supreme Court argument on January 22^nd.

The NPGF Scholarship Committee discussed the upcoming Golf Tournament on April 18 in Nashville, and passed the FY27 budget. The scholarship application is open through February 15.

The Member Services and Conventions Committees also met to discuss committee business and upcoming events. The Conventions Committee highlighted NPGA’s 2026 Southeastern & International Propane Expo^TM taking place April 19-21 at the Music City Center in Nashville, TN.

The Women in Propane Council reviewed council business and upcoming opportunities including events at Expo in April:

• Leadership Forum with Sean Hand
• Educational Session on creating strong social media content
• WIP Roundtable / LIVE Podcast with Reception to follow, jointly hosted with YPC, including an awards ceremony.

New State Directors

NPGA welcomed the following new State Directors:

• Arizona, Seth Johnson of EDP
• Minnesota, Treavor Beaudry of Beaudry Propane
• Tennessee, Chris Townsend of Admiral Propane

Photo Gallery