Today marks a historic milestone in our fight to protect consumer choice and safeguard our industry's future. The national heating fuels choice bill, the Energy Choice Act, has been reintroduced simultaneously in both the House and Senate – and, for the first time, with bipartisan support.

Introduced by Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23) in the House as H.R. 3699 and by Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) in the Senate as S. 1945, the Energy Choice Act would prevent state and local governments from adopting, implementing, or enforcing any law, regulation, ordinance, or building code that prohibits or limits – or has the effect of limiting – access to heating fuels based on energy type or source. This federal protection would certainly be welcome as states in the Northeast and across the country continue to push electrification mandates that would effectively ban heating fuels and appliances that millions of American families depend on.

"One-size-fits-all"electrification policies threaten not just consumer choice, but the livelihoods of thousands of heating fuel distributors, service technicians, equipment manufacturers, and related professionals across the country. They ignore practical, cost-effective solutions like higher efficiency systems and renewable liquid heating fuels that leverage existing infrastructure while reducing emissions.

The Energy Choice Act is supported by a broad national coalition of national, state and local associations representing not just fuel distributors, but also natural gas utilities, home builders, equipment manufacturers, and consumer advocacy groups.

In a statement, NEFI President Jim Collura said: "We proudly support the Energy Choice Act, which represents a critical step toward protecting American consumers and small businesses from government overreach in the home energy market. This bipartisan legislation ensures that decisions about home heating and cooling remain where they belong – in the hands of American families, not bureaucrats. At a time when families are recovering from record high inflation, no one needs misguided state and local policies that eliminate affordable heating options. The Energy Choice Act protects market competition, preserves consumer choice, and promotes energy affordability and reliability. We urge Congress to pass this common-sense legislation without delay."

What Happens Next?
Early engagement will help demonstrate the broad support this legislation enjoys and encourage additional cosponsors to join the effort. With momentum building, we are hopeful this legislation will receive consideration in the House and Senate Energy Committees and floor consideration in the 119th Congress. We encourage professionals throughout the industry to write their Senators and Representatives in support of this legislation and stay tuned to future NEFI communications for updates.

Full text of the Energy Choice Bill here.

Full list of supporting national, state, and local organizations here.

CLICK HERE to Write Your Members of Congress in Support of the ECA!

For questions regarding the Energy Choice Act, contact NEFI Manager of Government Affairs Liam Dotson at liam.dotson@nefi.com.