On March 29, APGA submitted a letter to the Department of Energy (DOE), requesting a public meeting and extension of the comment period for its rulemaking pertaining to miscellaneous gas products, which includes certain hearth products. APGA’s request was in support of a request from the Hearth, Patio & Barbeque Association (HPBA), the trade association that represents the manufacturers of these products.
Through the brief letter, APGA urged DOE to hold a public meeting in order to more efficiently provide clarity on its rulemaking, which would impact products such as outdoor gas-fired heaters and fireplaces. HPBA filed an initial request, citing the need to better understand what products DOE planned to regulate and why (and how) it intended to regulate these products’ minimum efficiencies, as well as the need for more time to respond in general, due to constraints the industry has been facing. APGA, the American Gas Association (AGA), and the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) all submitted separate letters of support of HPBA’s request. A copy of APGA’s letter is
available here.
APGA weighs in on DOE’s appliance efficiency rulemakings that impact gas-fired appliances, as APGA members provide the energy needed to fuel these appliances, thus making public natural gas systems critical stakeholders in these rulemakings. If DOE does not extend the comment period in this rulemaking, comments are due by April 8.
For questions on this article, please contact Renée Lani of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-0836 or by email at
rlani@apga.org.