Hearth, Patio & BBQ Professionals Deserve a Seat at the Table When Discussing Climate Change

6 January 2021

The past year delivered unprecedented challenges for the American economy and our industry as we coped with the impact and disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But on a consistent basis the biggest challenge to the hearth industry continues to be government regulations which impact our livelihood, create new hurdles to doing business and alter our ability to effectively serve customers.

At the core we are actually a building materials industry. But because we exist at the crossroads of both energy and environmental policy, we face more government regulation than any other segment of the building materials sector. When you integrate our critical role in servicing a range of heating equipment that uses a variety of fuels, almost every business function represented by the Northeast Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (NEHPBA) is subject to intense regulation and government oversight.

We deserve a seat at the table and a voice in the process for all policy making that impacts our members. And in 2021, one of NEHPBA’s top priorities will be making sure we are at that table and that the industry’s voice – YOUR voice – is heard. You are more than 300 individual retail, service and related companies across the Northeast: chimney sweeps, installers, maintenance providers, retail showrooms and other entities. And you are part of a much broader industry nationwide represented in Washington by the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA).

In the Northeast region – the six New England states and New York - we are fighting for your interests and your livelihood. In Maine and Vermont we continue to advocate strongly on our members’ behalf against some of those states’ most aggressive and damaging initiatives that impact this industry. And most recently, were heavily engaged in bringing our industry’s message to lawmakers in Massachusetts as they finalized a comprehensive piece of climate legislation at the end of 2020 and into the early days of this year. Preserving energy choice is critical in the Northeast for the good of consumers and members of (NEHPBA). In Massachusetts alone we have over 60 member companies - the vast majority of them independent “mom and pop” small businesses.

These NEHPBA members, as is the case throughout the Northeast, are good civic and community partners. All of our members are. You sponsor local little leagues; you serve on school boards and PTAs; you provide a sense of vibrancy to Main Street, not Wall Street; and you know the towns and cities you serve because you live there. The local impact you have on the economy is desperately needed - now more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, when so many of our small businesses are already being pushed to the limit.

NEHPBA recognizes the changing landscape of the energy and fossil fuel industry. We are committed to working with government officials and regulators at all levels to increase access to more sustainable and climate-centric fuel sources throughout our homes and businesses. But we must make our voice heard clearly as more states advance toward “Net Zero” emissions goals – as Massachusetts has done with its newest climate bill. With every major weather event the Northeast experiences – particularly in the winter – the potential peril of neglecting energy diversity as governments march toward lower emissions is evident.

Our nation’s electric grid relies on natural gas for approximately 40 percent of U.S. power generation. That means the very sources of renewable energy that policymakers favor – electric heat, wind energy and other “non-burning” systems – are still largely dependent on natural gas for the creation of that energy supply. Put simply: U.S. natural gas demand is likely to skyrocket – as much as 65 percent by 2050 – over the same time period during which policymakers are planning dramatic reductions in natural gas usage. Additionally, the long-term measures required to fully repair the U.S. economy from 2020’s pandemic-inflicted damage almost certainly means massive new programs to invest in infrastructure and manufacturing will be on the table. Such initiatives will require tremendous amounts of energy that cannot be fulfilled without sustaining and even expanding gas-fired energy generation.

But do these macro issues really have a direct impact on YOU – the small business owner serving customers and households in your own community?

Absolutely.

Energy and environmental policy may be created at the federal and state level – but it is almost always implemented in some way at the local level, with visible impact on communities and the businesses that serve them.

You deserve a voice in these debates. You need a seat at the table. We are committed to providing both for all our members in 2021 and beyond.

(978)440-0344