Share your stories to connect with elected officials

July 10, 2025 By Brian Richesson 0 Comments

We all have something in common. We have the ability to tell good stories.

Telling good stories is part of our mission at LP Gas magazine. It’s what we do. But it might not be something you think about regularly in your propane operation. Certainly you have plenty of other things on your mind throughout the year as you work to meet the needs of your customers.

But when you take a step back and think big picture about your business, the product you sell, the industry in which you work, the benefits it all provides to you and your family, well, it’s worth talking about, especially when it’s all on the line and potentially in someone else’s hands. It’s time to tell a good story.

That’s one message coming out of this year’s Propane Days lobbying event in Washington, D.C., where the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) gathers industry members annually in June and facilitates meetings with congressional leaders on Capitol Hill.

What you know best

Each year, NPGA prioritizes issues for industry members to address in those meetings. Accompanying “issue briefs” provide all the details and data needed to make a strong argument. Pocket cards with policy talking points add another helpful resource. But in the heat of the moment, in sometimes busy offices where unforeseen circumstances can change the meeting structure in a hurry, it’s often best to rely on a good story. Your story.

“I always encourage members to talk about what they know best: their own business and the propane industry,” says Alex Boehnke, a government relations professional who works alongside the Ohio Propane Gas Association (OPGA). He suggests industry members share personal stories, challenges and successes with elected officials to help humanize the issues.

That happened in the office of Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Ohio. Part of the conversation revolved around the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), one of two main issues discussed at this year’s Propane Days.

Since 1981, LIHEAP has been a constant source of financial help for about 6 million U.S. households that struggle to pay their energy bills. The White House is looking to eliminate LIHEAP in its fiscal year 2026 budget after terminating all staff in charge of administering the program. The propane industry lobbied for Congress to prioritize funding and administrative support for the program.

In Balderson’s office with the OPGA delegation, Josh Greene of Arrick’s Propane explained that many of his customers in rural areas rely on LIHEAP assistance to heat their homes. He also shared about how his 88-year-old grandmother is a great example of the program working well.

“She manages her money well but would never be able to afford to heat and cool her home without the assistance of LIHEAP funds,” he says.

The story drew Balderson’s attention, and he offered follow-up questions.

Existing challenges

We don’t have to tell you about the challenges your business faces on an ongoing basis.

The regulatory and legislative environment isn’t always favorable to propane; it hasn’t been easy over the past four years. That environment seems to have gotten better overall with the new administration lessening regulatory burdens, installing agency appointees more friendly to propane and opening more opportunities for LPG to thrive as a clean energy solution across many applications.

But there’s always going to be something to challenge and protect. There’s always going to be a good story to help get that message across.

It doesn’t matter if you’re meeting with an elected official in a U.S. congressional office building, a statehouse, in your own office back home or at your bulk plant. Tell your story, which in turn will convey the industry’s story about propane as a valuable energy source for your customers – the same people whom that policymaker represents. Now that’s impactful.

So think about your story and prepare to tell it.

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