Advocacy News

04.24.24

On February 28, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) put forth a landmark proposal to require all space and water heater equipment sold in the state of California to meet zero-emissions by a set date. The proposal comes on the heels of the Zero-NOx space and water heating standards adopted by Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) in March 2023, and recent Zero-NOx water heating …

03.26.24

At the beginning of this year, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) proposed amendments to how the state regulates HFC refrigerant gasses that are contained within appliances. While other states have been content to largely follow the lead established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on regulating these substances, DEC’s proposal represents an …

03.20.24

In what is likely one final last-minute deal on government funding for the remainder of the fiscal year, lawmakers look to avert a partial government shutdown by agreeing to a long-term continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the federal government fully operational through September 30. A first tier of funding keeping the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, …

03.15.24

In another last-minute deal, lawmakers averted a partial government shutdown by agreeing to a long-term continuing resolution (CR) that would keep parts of the federal government funded for the remainder of the fiscal year. This first tier of funding will keep the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and related agencies funded …

02.21.24

In 2023, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) was very active in regulating residential water heater and boiler product efficiencies, as has been addressed in this column previously. But what gives DOE the authority to take such actions, and what exactly are they allowed and not allowed to do? The answer to these questions come from EPCA. It is a federal law that was passed in 1975 and …

01.24.24

Happy New Year everyone! After what we at Bradford White hope was a relaxing holiday season for you and your family, legislative and regulatory bodies at all levels of government are beginning to go back to work. In this post, we’ll examine what we expect to see from them in 2024 at each level of government, and how it may impact the HVAC industry. Federal The United States Department of Energy  …

11.20.23

This article was written by guest columnist Terry O'Brien, Executive Vice President for the Association of Contracting Plumbers of the City of New York, and Senior Director for the Plumbing Foundation City of New York. In light of Climate Week NYC, which occurred September 17-22, I would be remiss if I did not address a topic that has universal impact and is important to so many of us: combating …

09.25.23

On July 28, 2023, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) released over 2,000 pages of information that include a pre-published Final Rule for commercial water heater energy efficiency standards, as well as proposed rules for energy efficiency standards for both residential water heaters (published) and residential boilers, the latter of which was officially published on Aug. 14, 2023. …

07.14.23

The General Counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a memorandum related to what constitutes a “Captive Audience” Meeting, GC 22-04. (See Memorandum) This memorandum informs regional offices that the long standing practice of allowing employers to require employees to attend mandatory meetings where employers could provide information in opposition to the union is unlawful …

12.15.21

PHCC has joined industry stakeholders Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) and Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) in filing a petition for judicial review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The petition asks the court to overturn the ban on single-use cylinders and …