Utah Enacts Climate Shield Law

Last week, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed House Bill (HB) 222 into law. Known colloquially as a “climate liability shield,” this legislation provides a new degree of legal immunity for individuals and companies whose activities result in the emission of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane. Although these liability protections apply to all economic sectors, they are especially notable for businesses in the energy realm, including those involved in the entirety of propane’s value chain – everything from production to sale.

While other states, such as Louisiana and Tennessee have introduce similar bills, Utah’s is the first to be enacted. HB 222 stands in stark contrast to legislation that has been introduced in California, Minnesota and New York that hold energy companies financially responsible for their historic carbon emissions.

As of the 2024 industry sales report, Utah is the 37^th largest state propane market in the country, with 86 million gallons of fuel sold. For more information, contact NPGA’s Senior Director of State Advocacy & Affairs, Jacob Peterson.