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NPGA will be seeking to engage our coalition
again, and will be commenting on the proposal in
advance of the May 16, 2024 deadline.
For questions or concerns, please contact VP
Regulatory & Industry Affairs Benjamin Nussdorf.■
NPGA Victory on the Consumer Water Heater Rule

NPGA secured a regulatory victory on
Tuesday, April 30th, when the Department of Ener-
gy (DOE) released for prepublication its Final Rule:
Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Water
Heaters. In the Proposed Rule, DOE sought to elimi-
nate non-condensing tankless water heaters through
efficiency standards which could only be met by customers so they better understand propane safety
condensing models. during natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods,

In 2023, NPGA led a coalition response to tornadoes, and wildfires. You can share preparedness
the Proposed Rule, including engaging with the DOE, and safety information through your company web-
the Department of Justice, and the Department site and customer communications, such as e-mails,
of Commerce, where NPGA explained its concerns receipts, mailings, and social media outlets.
and the concerns of its members with the Proposed Hurricane season starts June 1st, and the
Rule. NPGA supplemented those efforts by meeting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
in 2024 with the Office of Management and Budget (NOAA) has designated May 5th -11th as National
regarding the Proposed Rule’s impact. NPGA’s com- Hurricane Preparedness Week. NOAA encourages
ments focused, in part, on the impact to gas-fired everyone to better understand their risk from hur-
tankless water heaters and the Final Rule chose not ricanes and begin pre-season preparations now. As
to summarize or respond to any comments specific hurricane season approaches, now is the time to pre-
to gas-fired tankless water heaters in this notice, pare your customers, employees, and infrastructure
nor discuss any analytical methodologies or results for the threat of severe weather.
for this product class as DOE continues to consider
the comments submitted in response to the July As always, we encourage our members to
2023 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and December plan ahead with their suppliers in case of supply
2023 Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. disruptions, infrastructure issues, and high-demand
NPGA, along with its coalition partners (American Gas scenarios. For more information and resources on
Association, American Public Gas Association) and emergency preparedness and business continuity,
member engagement (Rinnai America) will be review- visit www.ready.gov/business.
ing the 543 page Final Rule in depth and continue to For more information, please contact NPGA’s
engage DOE on its potential plans to amend conser- Senior Manager of State Association Relations, Eric
vation standards for gas-fired tankless water heaters. Sears.■
Questions? Please contact VP Regulatory & .
Save the Date!
Industry Affairs Benjamin Nussdorf.■ Sa ve the Da te!
Severe Weather Preparedness APGA Fall Gathering & Board of Directors Meeting
Spring continues to produce severe weather September 26th - 27th, 2024
systems, with large swaths of the country recently im- Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge, Guntersville, AL
pacted by severe storms, damaging winds, and torna-
does. PERC’s Propane and Weather Safety webpage Details and booking link coming soon!
has helpful information that you can give to your

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