On Friday, February 21, the National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI) joined other national organizations in a letter to Secretary Chris Wright of the Department of Energy and Administrator Lee Zeldin of the Environmental Protection Agency outlining concerns about building electrification policies enacted under the previous administration.

The letter, which was submitted by NEFI, American Public Gas Association, American Supply Association, National Association of Oil & Energy Service Professionals, National Propane Gas Association, and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) National Association, asked Wright and Zeldin to give special attention to electrification programs established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), many of which were "designed to support state and local efforts to ban conventional heating fuels and appliances and force residential electrification, policies that would exponentially increase the cost of housing while limiting access to affordable home comfort solutions."

The coalition further requests that the agencies withdraw and review all related guidance and "best practices" documents, including those provided to states regarding heat pump rebate program requirements, and that the administration conduct a comprehensive review of all building electrification programs.

In related news, the Trump administration has frozen nearly all funding for the IRA and IIJA in the flurry of post-inaugural executive orders, including state grant funding for heat pump rebates and the controversial New England Heat Pump Accelerator program. Despite that memo eventually being rescinded, and several U.S. District Courts issuing temporary restraining orders ordering the release of these funds, all electrification funding under the IRA remains frozen. This complex situation, explained as simply as possible in the National Law Review, will most likely be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

NEFI will follow up with these agencies, and educate them on the benefits of the products and services delivered by its members. We will provide updates as they become available.

Click to Download the Letter