Washington D.C./Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) With a government shutdown entering its fourth week in Washington, there are plenty of legislative bills that are threatened, including Representative Nick Langworthy's (R-Clarence) Energy Choice Act.
Langworthy's bill would prohibit state and local governments from banning or restricting access to energy services like natural gas and propane. The bill's goal is to prevent states from enacting mandates that restrict these options and preserve consumer choice.
"There's no telling when this is going to come up in the U.S. House of Representatives," said Dave Levinthal, a WBEN contributor in Washington D.C. "Whether it's this bill or anything else, prepare to be disappointed because it's going to be weeks, at this point, before we get to any resolution on the government funding front."
Levinthal added that the idea of a federal bill, a national standard on energy, is very attractive to a lot of people who feel there is over-reach by state governments in terms of forcing energy-related principles, such as electrification, on citizens.
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The clock is ticking on the bill here in New York State.
"December 31 is the deadline (to act) because as of January 1, 2026 a ban on natural gas takes effect in new homes and for buildings under 7 stories. That is step number one in the electrification movement in New York State," said Domenic Cortese, of Cortese Construction and Hammertime Radio on WBEN.
Without the federal legislation, the only other way to slow down or stop the all-electric mandate from happening at the end of the year is by Governor Kathy Hochul herself.