NPGA Endorses Senate Legislation that Would Alleviate Agency Overreach

On March 30, 2023, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, along with Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), introduced S. 1043, the Natural Gas Appliances Standards Act of 2023.

This legislation would:

• Require that DOE certify that any stove, water heater, or furnace energy efficiency rule would not result in fuel switching from natural gas to electric appliances;
• Specify that DOE may not put forward a rule that would limit the features of gas stoves, such as quick boil times, number and size of burners, and design of grates;
• Exempt small manufacturers from future energy efficiency rulemakings for stoves, water heaters, and furnaces; and,
• Require that existing energy efficiency labels displayed at the point of sale disclose full-fuel-cycle efficiency rather than point-of-use energy consumption.

Senator Barrasso, and the Republican Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued a press release that contained this quote from Steve Kaminski, NPGA’s President and CEO, “The National Propane Gas Association supports the Natural Gas Appliances Standards Act of 2023, which protects consumer choice, prevents fuel switching, and provides transparency for energy efficiency labeling requirements. NPGA applauds Senator Barrasso’s efforts to provide reasonable protections for consumers to choose their preferred fuel and home appliances.”

The Republican Energy and Natural Resources press release, a copy of NPGA’s letter of support, and the legislation can be found HERE.