FEATURED NEWS
� CONGRESS CALLS FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR LIHEAP
The House Appropriations Committee followed the Senate’ s lead in moving to boost LIHEAP funding, the National Energy & Fuels Institute reported. The committee approved a draft Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026, NEFI reported, with a final vote on the broader package of 35-28“ along party lines.”
The bill includes a $ 10 million increase for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program( LIHEAP), following the Senate’ s earlier version, which proposed a $ 20 million increase, the Institute reported in a Sept. 10 Legislative Alert to members.
“ The fact that House Republicans not only preserved LIHEAP funding but increased it in a partisan bill – despite the Trump administration’ s call for the program’ s elimination – demonstrates the strong bipartisan support this program continues to enjoy,” the Institute said.
“ However,” the trade group noted,“ operational challenges remain. In April, Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. implemented sweeping departmental cuts, including the complete elimination of the federal LIHEAP staff. These positions have not been refilled. Currently, just one federal staff member is responsible for reviewing and approving more than 200 LIHEAP plans for states, territories, and tribes. This bottleneck could delay plan approvals and the disbursement of funds ahead of winter.
“ In response to these staffing concerns, both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees included language in their draft bills to address the issue,” the NEFI Legislative Alert noted.“ The language urges the Administration for Children and Families( ACF) – the office within the Department of Health and Human Services that oversees LIHEAP – to fill any vacancies that could impact program operations. It also reinforces ACF’ s statutory responsibility to ensure home heating and cooling assistance is available to low-income households nationwide.”
FEATURED NEWS
• Congress Calls for Increased Funding for LIHEAP
• Update: Energy Choice Legislation
• Women in Energy Meet in Princeton, N. J.
• NYPGA Fall Conference: Saratoga Springs
• Obituary: Richard B. Gada of Guy’ s Oil
EIA / FUELS – pg. 9
• EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook
• Per Capita CO2 Emissions Decreased in Every State
Business Operations – pg. 9
• OESP changes its name; initials remain the same
• Bergquist Inc. Hires Two Executives
• SkillsUSA Selects Connecticut
• Plumbing and Heating Apprentice for 2026 WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai
• Pennsylvania Lawmakers Sponsor Bipartisan Proposal for Clean Fuel Standard
� UPDATE: ENERGY CHOICE
The House Committee on Energy & Commerce( E & C)“ is moving aggressively to advance the NEFI-backed Energy Choice Act and other legislation that would significantly strengthen consumer choice at all levels of government, the National Energy & Fuels Institute reports in its newsletter. A series of hearings on the issue, held by E & C’ s Subcommittee on Energy, signals“ serious Republican intent to bring these measures to a floor vote,” according to the newsletter, NEFI Energy and Online News( NEON).
In September, a hearing titled“ Appliance and Building Policies: Restoring the American Dream of Home Ownership and Consumer Choice” featured“ pointed criticism of federal energy efficiency programs and building codes that Republicans argue have been used as a backdoor way to ban or limit consumer access to the fuels and appliances of their choice,” the Sept. 16 issue of the newsletter reported. The Energy Subcommittee later held a legislative hearing on eight bills that would fundamentally reshape
OCTOBER 2025
NYPGA Fall Conference Oct. 27-28 Saratoga Hilton Saratoga Springs, N. Y. Website: www. nypropane. com Phone: 518-383-3823
federal energy policy to protect consumer choice, the newsletter said, including the Energy Choice Act( H. R. 3699), which NEFI says it helped draft and led a national coalition to support.
� WOMEN IN ENERGY
Women in Energy( www. wewomeninenergy. com) held its annual conference Sept. 9-11 at the Crowne Plaza by IHG in Princeton, N. J. With each of its conferences, the group has a charitable component. This year it had two, the group noted in its newsletter, crediting WE’ s vice president, Pam Giordano, with starting a fundraiser to aid an organization called HomeFront NJ by providing hygiene kits. Giordano, Trustee Stacy Papa and member Pearl Begin visited the shelter, and the group succeeded in exceeding the number of kits it aimed to deliver. The group thanked all who donated and Giordano“ for twisting a few arms.”
The second fundraiser was initiated by member Dr. Jenny Frank just two weeks before the Conference. Frank, a professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry( SUNY ESF), Syracuse, N. Y., heard directly from her students that they would benefit from networking events and connecting with women
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