NYPGA Spring Conference Focuses on Dropping Temps & Rising Political Issues

After one of the coldest winters in recent memory, New York propane marketers saw strong sales, as well as legal and legislative challenges that could impact the future of the industry in the state. 

At the start of the New York Propane Gas Association’s (NYPGA) Spring Conference and Annual Meeting, a marketer’s comment drew laughter from colleagues: “If you did not make money this season, there is something seriously wrong with your business.” 

Christina Armentano, Paraco Gas Corporation’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, shared optimism. “The gallons are still flowing. We’re still incredibly busy.” 

Armentano guided the organization through uncertain times, serving as NYPGA president for two years. Addressing attendees, she said, “I’m sure you guys had the phones ringing. I’m sure there were ups and downs that happened in all of our businesses.” 

Members described a season of relentless cold, frequent snow and heavy heating demand that stretched staffing and delivery systems but also reinforced propane’s role in New York’s energy mix. 

“Propane is very much the unsung hero,” Armentano said, arguing the cold season helped “showcase how our product can hold up with pretty trying and challenging weather.” 

That argument went beyond business results. For many marketers, the winter served as a response to an aggressive push for electrification policies in Albany, New York. 

Collaborators, Not Competitors 

Over the years, NYPGA meetings have evolved from largely business-oriented gatherings into strategy sessions focused on policy, public messaging and legal support. That shift was on full display at the annual conference. 

“When we all come in this room together, we’re not competitors,” said Armentano. “We are aligned on a similar mission. And the mission is to make sure that we deliver the best energy that we can to our consumers.” 

Her remarks came as she concluded a two-year term as NYPGA president and handed leadership to Chris Scaturro of Upstate Energy. In his opening comments, Scaturro captured the industry’s polarizing reality: a winter that boosted demand and morale and a political climate that remains uncertain. 

He defined his company’s season as “many degree days, plentiful snow and plentiful cold,” before adding the hard part: “On the one hand, there’s great demand, but there’s also a lot of legislative issues.” 

Uphill Legislative Challenges 

One such challenge has been the state’s push toward electrification. On Jan. 1, New York had intended to implement restrictions that would bar propane in certain types of new construction. But enforcement was put on hold after a legal challenge raised by Rick Cummings, vice president of Mulhern Gas Co., along with the National Propane Gas Association, industry partners and trade organizations. 

Attorney Brian Boaran from Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP told attendees the state is not enforcing the restriction while appeals continue in the case. The lawsuit was personally aimed at the secretary of state, because he was responsible for enforcing building codes related to the ban on new construction. 

The closely watched case challenged the state’s restrictions on propane and natural gas infrastructure in some new buildings. Plaintiffs appealed a ruling in the Northern District of New York that the state’s restrictions were not preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. 

The dispute was argued before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 30, with a ruling expected later this spring or early summer. Boaran said the case could ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court. 

For propane marketers, the legal pause has provided temporary relief, but little certainty. The lawsuit is only one front in a broader political fight over New York’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), the sweeping law that set major emissions-reduction targets and a transition toward zero-emission electricity. For the propane industry, the CLCPA is a recurring source of anxiety and an organizing force. 

Sometimes Leaks Are Good 

Though propane leaks are bad news, in politics, the leak of information highlighting the cost of electrification under the CLCPA could be good news for propane marketers. A February memo from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) President and CEO Doreen M. Harris was leaked — or intentionally made public — to warn that electrification could add about $4,000 a year by 2031 for households currently using oil or gas. 

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul used the memo as an opportunity to publicly pivot her position on the CLCPA. Hochul embraced an affordability agenda for her election-year messaging. Hochul could no longer ignore rising energy prices impacting the people of her state. 

The Harsh Reality 

In 2025, over 1 million New York households were at least 60 days behind on their utility bills, according to AARP New York. That amounts to customers owing $1.8 billion. Downstate, over 400,000 households were cut from service due to nonpayment. Consolidated Edison reportedly issued 1.4 million final termination notices and disconnected 190,410 customers. 

At the conference, Republican State Senator Mario Mattera, 2nd Senate District, described the winter of 2025-26 as “the winter from hell.” 

Mattera, the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, said farmers were the hardest hit with sky-high utility bills. The three-term lawmaker scoffed at the idea that farmers would survive with wind, solar and battery storage as main sources of energy outlined in the CLCPA. 

Hochul faced pressure not only from environmental groups urging her to hold the line, but also from consumers, some lawmakers and industries arguing that the price of an all-electric future is being underestimated. 

However, Senate Democrats, including Pete Harckham, 40th Senate District and chairman of the Committee on Environment Conservation, argued the leaked memo from NYSERDA presented an overly inflated view of CLCPA’s costs. 

Harckham was scheduled to present on legislative issues at the conference. However, he withdrew before his presentation. Mattera told BPN he wished he could have debated Harckham at the conference. 

Political Tensions Boil 

Over On March 26, environmental activists converged on the state capitol to try to pressure the governor’s office in support of maintaining the full climate goals of the CLCPA. New York state police eventually arrested 21 demonstrators. 

Advocacy groups such as The Nature Conservancy criticized any effort to weaken the law. “New Yorkers can’t afford to wait another four years for action. We urge the legislature to keep fighting for a strong, enforceable climate law, including a robust near-term cap-and-invest program,” the group said in a written statement. 

Cummings, who also serves as the chairman of NYPGA’s legislative committee, told attendees Hochul’s position on the CLCPA had “softened.” He explained that the expectation among many in the room was not a sweeping rollback, but a political compromise during state budget talks. 

“I don’t know if the governor’s going to get all she wants, and I don’t know if the legislature is going to get all they want,” said Cummings. “I’m guessing it’ll be some kind of compromise.” 

In a March 20 op-ed, Hochul proposed delaying the start of key CLCPA regulations — specifically the cap-and-invest program — until 2030. Hochul said she wanted to avoid “crushing” expenses by setting new 2040 emissions targets. 

Instead of pushing the CLCPA back to the legislature, Hochul decided to make the changes to the law a part of the budget negotiation process due April 1. 

The Fight for Energy Choice 

Ray Murray III, Ray Murray Inc.’s chairman emeritus, said the “keep your head down” approach is no longer workable under the CLCPA. 

Armentano described the industry’s position as a “wait-and-see phase with CLCPA to see what really happens and what the next phase looks like,” while emphasizing that the ongoing lawsuit over building restrictions remains part of the same uncertainty. 

Even so, industry leaders repeatedly returned to a phrase that has become central to their message. “There is no one energy that can really solve our energy challenges or our energy infrastructure,” said Armentano. “Being able to approach it from a multipronged strategy is absolutely critical.” 

That framing reflects a strategic repositioning, with the industry increasingly presenting the fuel as part of a broader, diversified energy system that protects consumers from outages, price spikes and one-size-fits-all mandates. 

But the association’s worries are not limited to climate policy. 

Assembly Member Seeks $10,000 Fines on Runouts 

During a briefing, Cummings warned members about two bills introduced by Angelo Santabarbara, a Democrat representing the 11th Assembly District. 

Assembly Bill A10686 seeks to impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 if a propane company fails to make an emergency delivery within 24 hours under automatic refill contracts. 

“[This bill was] born out of, once again, some highly publicized out-of-gas situations,” Cummings said. “So that was extremely unfortunate. Because when things like that happen, we end up having to deal with it.” 

Armentano used the issue to warn members that customer service breakdowns can quickly become political problems. “Those challenges and not handling those inquiries properly can lead to legislation,” she said. 

Cummings was even more direct: “People either go to their legislator or worse: call the local TV station.” 

Still, speakers acknowledged that many marketers also faced operational strain during winter, especially in hiring and retaining bobtail drivers. Even companies that use tank monitors experienced runouts in some cases, a reminder that a profitable winter can expose logistical weaknesses. 

Seeking a ‘Propane Czar’ 

Santabarbara also introduced Assembly Bill A10585, which would create a propane consumer pricing advisor and a 12-member propane advisory board within the Department of Public Service. The proposed measure would monitor statewide pricing trends, review contract prices and fee structures, publish aggregate market data, develop transparency guidelines for propane businesses and help consumers navigate pricing and service agreements. 

The bill would also require annual reports and coordination with the state attorney general on complaints and legal actions involving propane companies, while specifying it would not authorize price controls. 

“It’s difficult in this political environment with basically one party in control to stop these bills in their tracks … We will do our best to work through them,” Cummings explained. 

Preaching to the Choir 

Cummings told attendees that the Trump administration has been “a terrific friend to the petroleum industry in general — also to the propane industry. There is more propane than there ever was before in this country.” For federal legislative matters, he said, “we’re in good shape.” 

That message was reinforced by U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy, a Republican from western New York, in a prerecorded video message. 

“The stakes of the propane industry could not be higher,” said Langworthy. He thanked members for “[their] hard work and [their] advocacy work that [they] do every day to keep … homes warm and … businesses running, … farms productive and communities resilient.” 

He called propane “a lifeline for millions of Americans and businesses, particularly in rural communities like [his] district in western New York and the Southern Tier.” For Langworthy, propane is “the only option in many communities for reliable, affordable energy.” 

Langworthy framed the debate in explicitly political terms. “Energy policy affects everyone,” he said. “It has real consequences for real people. Yet, sadly, the debate around these issues is too often an academic exercise devoid of reality or common sense. Stopping these radical energy policies is, truthfully, one of the main reasons I wanted to run for Congress in the first place.” 

Change in the Air at NYPGA 

Armentano told members the association has spent the past year rebuilding the organization. Capitol Hill Management Services was brought in, and Amy Mason was named executive director. Armentano thanked members for staying with NYPGA during what she called a “major transitional year,” including approving an assessment to help stabilize finances. 

“We are still very much in a rebuilding phase right now,” she said. But she added that “we have a really bright future” and said she was beginning to see “the tides change a little bit.” 

Mason, who organized the conference with Ken Smegil of Argus Energy, solicited feedback from members during the meeting. With a year of experience under her belt, Mason asked each table to write down ideas for how the association could improve, resulting in ideas to grow membership and engagement. 

The organization currently has 115 members and is seeking to grow to better respond to legislative pressures. The suggestions included pairing newer participants with experienced members in mentorship roles and encouraging company leaders to send more staff to association events, both to strengthen engagement and expand the industry’s pool of advocates. 

Scaturro made clear that membership growth and stronger participation would be central to his agenda. “There’s a lot going on in the legislature that needs to be addressed,” said Scaturro. “And we have to be united as members. We cannot do everything by ourselves.” 

Later, he added, “I’m going to listen to what everybody has to say. Hear what any issues or problems are, collaborate with everybody to get it done. Christina, you set the bar extremely high, and I’m up for the challenge to take it on full force.” 

That may be the clearest sign of how much the organization has changed. NYPGA, once focused primarily on commerce, now speaks just as often about advocacy, legislation and public messaging as it does about gallons, margins and deliveries. 

After a winter many attendees believe made propane’s case for them, the industry left Albany energized, but not relaxed. The season had delivered profits and political talking points, but not certainty. Murray said propane marketers are not backing down. 

“They’re not sitting still,” he said. “They’re being proactive and fighting back.” 

Next Steps 

The question now is whether New York’s propane industry can turn one hard winter into lasting political influence before Albany decides how much room fuels like propane will have in the state’s energy future. The fight will continue on Oct. 22-23 at NYPGA’s Fall Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York, with a “Protecting Propane” theme.