Advocacy News

02.27.25

The House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation package this week with unanimous Republican support. This sets the stage for a framework to determine a path forward to pass a government funding measure for the remainder of FY25 while encompassing the Trump administration’s priorities on which the President campaigned. However, there are differences between House and Senate leadership …

02.05.25

Contractors invited to attend Legislative Conference May 20-21 The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC) will host its 2025 Legislative Conference on May 20-21 at the YOTEL Washington D.C. This annual event provides plumbing and HVAC contractors with the opportunity to connect directly with federal lawmakers and advocate for the industry’s most pressing priorities. The …

01.23.25

On December 26, 2024, DOE published a Final Rule in the Federal Register setting more stringent minimum efficiency standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters, which will apply to any such product manufactured on or after December 26, 2029. In this action the Department maintains their initial proposal from July 2023 that will require all these products to utilize condensing technology. …

12.20.24

With the 2024 election now in America’s rearview mirror, it’s normal for people to start looking forward to better understand what these results mean for our industry. To recap, Donald Trump will be moving back into the White House on Jan. 20, 2025, and he will be working with a Congress that is narrowly held by Republicans in both Congressional chambers. At the state level, little has changed …

12.19.24

On the cusp of approving a continuing resolution (CR) to keep government funded into March 2025, with much-needed provisions extending the Farm Bill, FEMA emergency funding, reauthorization of workforce investment programs, and a one-year delay on implementation of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was forced to renege on the spending agreement after …

11.25.24

With the dust finally settled on the 2024 presidential elections, PHCC’s team in Washington has a legislative strategy in place and ready to execute going into the 119th Congress next year. We expect many new opportunities, as well as a few challenges, for our policy priorities: Energy Policy PHCC has made clear prior to November 5 that a Republican administration and Congress would bode well …

11.25.24

While much of the regulatory focus in the water heater industry has been appropriately focused on the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) energy conservation standards’ final rules for commercial and residential water heaters, there are still significant rules impacting our industry that are scheduled by the Department to be finalized in the coming weeks. The first is somewhat related to …

10.21.24

On July 23, 2024, the Vancouver City Council approved a directive that would allow for new homes to once again utilize natural gas for heating and hot water. This action significantly retreats from a more aggressive building electrification policy that the same council approved years earlier that required all new, low-rise residential buildings in the city to utilize only electric HVAC and water …

09.26.24

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a piece of federal legislation that was signed into law by President Joe Biden over two years ago. While not necessarily indicated by its name, the IRA is touted by its supporters as the largest investment in clean energy in American history. As it relates to home appliances, one main program in the IRA that contractors and installers should know about is the …

08.28.24

Observers of American politics often note that policymaking swings like a pendulum. One political party will earn control of government and enact policies they believe will improve the country. Later, the opposing political party will inevitably seize governmental control and undo much of the work of their predecessors. This process then repeats. While there may be examples of this idea proving …