We find ourselves on the cusp of a new heating season. This is a good time to reflect on the full weight of what our industry is navigating. September is always a moment of transition, when our members shift their attention to the months ahead and the customers who are counting on them to deliver. This year, that transition carries added meaning.
The policy environment that once threatened our products is shifting, and our collective advocacy is a major reason why. The new administration has reversed course on fuel-switching mandates. Congress has rolled back key electrification policies and funding streams. States across the region are reconsidering aggressive electrification timelines as demand on the grid surges from data centers, advanced manufacturing, and the reshoring of American industry. The argument our members have made for years is gaining ground: the products and services we provide are essential, not expendable. That progress is the result of sustained, coordinated advocacy by NEFI and its members and association partners.
Without question, challenges remain. Supply chains continue to be tested by global disruptions, and inflation continues to burden American families. Costs are rising across every line of the business: trucks, equipment, insurance, fuel, wages, you name it. And the shortage of qualified drivers and technicians continues to press on companies of all sizes.
That is why this month, NEFI is joining CEMA, MEMA, NYSEC, and EMARI in support of the Southern New England Energy Conference, September 14-15 at the Newport Marriott in Newport, Rhode Island. It is the first time NEFI is participating in this event as an organizing partner, and the result was a stronger program than any of us could have built alone.
SNEEC’s program spans four tracks and twenty breakout sessions over two days. Two tracks focused on business operations, covering price risk, clean heat standards, service operations, cyber risk, finances, and the decisions that determine whether a company thrives in a competitive environment. A third track, led by NORA, will provide technical education for the service and installation professionals our businesses depend on.
NEFI’s track, “Navigating Policy Shifts in Dynamic Markets,” brings national experts to the table on energy choice, ongoing state fuel ban litigation, truck emissions regulations, new CDL driver and hazmat rules, and workforce policies and funding opportunities. Colin Grabow of the Cato Institute, the nation’s foremost expert on the Jones Act, will deliver our Monday luncheon keynote on energy security. The program also features a panel on the short- and long-term outlook for biofuels supplies, and an introductory session on artificial intelligence for fuel and home comfort businesses ready to explore practical applications.
Our thanks to CEMA, MEMA, NYSEC, EMARI, and all who contributed to this conference and its success. The work continues in the statehouses, in Washington, and American homes across the country. This industry is moving forward, through advocacy, through professional development, and through showing up together. We are stronger for it.
