Propane Days 2026 brings industry leaders to Washington for legislative advocacy

▶ The land up north

This year, I tagged along with the Michigan group, consisting of Erin Dalling, Wayne Kohley, John Hearn, David Lowe, David Long and Joe Montroy.

Some of my friends gave me, as an Ohio native, grief for tagging along with Michigan, but everyone in the group was great, and they were happy to have me.

Again, this was a different experience from the Ohio and New York groups. NPGA’s Baker stressed the importance of quick, efficient meetings, and the Michigan group took that to heart. The group ran a tight ship – get in, state the facts, make the ask and say, “Thank you.”

Being a swing state, Michigan is split fairly evenly between Republicans and Democrats. As such, the Michigan group met with an almost even split of both.

The day started on a great note when we met with the staff of Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat. As mentioned with last year’s New York meetings, LIHEAP is a fairly straightforward sell for Democrats, so it was no surprise when Slotkin’s staffer said that LIHEAP is important to them. The pleasant surprise came when the staffer shared that the senator owns a gas stove and uses propane in her home, so she is for energy choice.

That was a consistent theme throughout the meetings. A lot of people in Michigan use propane, so their representatives have an interest in protecting their right to use it. In fact, with 450 million gallons of propane sold in 2024, Michigan ranks second highest in propane gallon sales by state, behind only California. Additionally, Michigan is the No. 1 state in the country for propane used specifically for home heating, which were points the Michigan group stressed in its meetings.

With Michigan being such a cold-weather state, it’s no surprise that it uses a lot of propane, and it’s no surprise that the state’s representatives understand the importance of reliable, affordable heating and energy.

▶ Buckeye state blitz

Ohio meetings started strong as Ryan Gentil of AmeriGas, Don Montroy of Bergquist, Eric Sears of NPGA and I found ourselves inside the Husted Huddle. This is where Sen. Jon Husted and his staffers gather several industry groups in one conference room. The Republican senator, who played football at the University of Dayton, and his staffers rotate from group to group, hearing the concerns of all constituents.

It was the first of six meetings that I would attend – and the lone opportunity to meet with a legislator. The other meetings were no less important. In all, we visited the offices of four Republicans and two Democrats. One meeting with Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s office offered good discussion as the Democrat’s staff member posed several insightful questions about the propane industry and the issues at hand. That dialogue felt promising for the industry.

The Energy Choice Act had only about 20 cosponsors when NPGA made it a key issue to discuss at the 2025 Propane Days. That support had grown to about 160 cosponsors at this year’s Propane Days.

Our meeting with Rep. Mike Rulli’s staff in the Cannon House Office Building took us past the office of Rep. Nick Langworthy, a Republican from New York who introduced the Energy Choice Act in June 2025. The legislation has gained traction in the House, where it awaits consideration on the floor by the full membership.

“It speaks to how important your presence is on Capitol Hill,” NPGA President and CEO Stephen Kaminski told attendees. “Speaking to your legislators has a significant impact.”

In that Cannon House Office Building hallway, we ran into the familiar faces of DD Alexander of Global Gas and Rick Cummings of Mulhern Gas. Crossing paths with fellow industry members is always a pleasant experience and a reminder of how the industry needs to divide and conquer to disseminate its message.

Downtime between meetings offered a chance to visit with NPGA leaders and other attendees who set up shop in a House building cafeteria.

I hold an appreciation for the NPGA staffers who make the office visits feel so natural, the discussion so fluent. Having Austin Wicker and Sears join some of the Ohio meetings brought that ability to light. Still, NPGA and the state association executives prepare industry members to follow that lead and to leave their own impact.

“As lobbyists, we are accustomed to quick meetings discussing broad topics narrowed down to a few talking points,” Derek Dalling shares. “There is nothing more gratifying than walking into an office and watching clients take over and lead the discussions. After all, this is their industry. The issues discussed affect their businesses, employees and families every day.”

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