Advocacy News

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 …

08.28.24

Earlier this month, at the recommendation of the PHCC Government Affairs Committee, the PHCC Board of Directors voted to support two pieces of legislation currently making their way through Congress. The CTE Student Mental Health and Wellness Act sponsored by Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) would allow career and technical education schools access to federal grants to provide mental health and …

08.28.24

On August 15, PHCC of California hosted another successful Legislative Day at the state capitol in Sacramento. The annual event attracts over a dozen contractors and local executives from across the Golden State to participate in a morning issues briefing hosted by the state chapter, followed by an afternoon of meetings with legislative offices in the capitol building. PHCC—National Association …

07.24.24

Since the City of Berkeley passed an ordinance that prohibited natural gas hookups to newly constructed homes in 2019, the future of natural gas as a building fuel source has been a hotly debated topic in our industry. Indeed, Berkeley was followed by dozens of other California communities that adopted similar policies, and Washington State even enacted residential and commercial building codes …

06.14.24

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently revised the regulations governing eligibility for overtime pay, specifically raising the annual pay level for certain exempt employees. The current threshold is $35,568 annually ($684 weekly) but will be raised in steps. The first step set for July 1 of this year would raise the threshold payroll to $43,888 annually ($844 weekly), and the second step …

06.04.24

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a Final Rule for energy conservation standards for residential water heaters. While this topic has understandably caught the attention of many in our industry who are still working on examining and analyzing the document, it in some ways serves as a reminder that DOE has already finalized energy conservation standards for …