The House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday passed a series of bills that roll back energy efficiency standards and preempt localities that want to restrict gas hookups in new construction. While the bills might mostly be “red meat” for the Republican voter base, the House GOP’s major energy industry donors like Chevron and Energy Transfer would likely see benefits if they became law.
One bill, the “Energy Choice Act” from western New York Republican Nick Langworthy, would prevent states and local governments from implementing or enforcing policies that prohibit connections to energy services based on the type of the energy that is used. Though the bill does not single out natural gas, it would preempt rules that have been enacted in states like New York and Washington, and cities in California and Massachusetts, to prohibit natural gas hookups in new construction. For example, the bill would override a law passed in 2023 by New York state lawmakers that is set to ban gas appliances in most new buildings statewide, pending legal challenges.
Though Langworthy says his bill is meant to address requirements on new construction, opponents say it could also override other policies that limit the use of fossil fuels, even preventing states from regulating utility rates.
