Picture this: It’s a sunny June day, 80 degrees, perfect for firing up the grill and tossing on a few burgers. But your neighbor doesn’t like your gas grill. He claims it’s a threat to his right to a clean environment. Next, he digs a little deeper. He checks a state website and finds out you heat your home with oil and use natural gas for your water heater. He doesn’t like that either. Then, he looks up your vehicles on the same government site and sees they’re all gas-powered. Now he’s just angry. He’s a big fan of electric vehicles, even though the grid that powers them is still mostly fueled by fossil fuels. But he conveniently ignores that fact. Driving an EV looks better. It’s more culturally responsible. So, he decides he’s had enough. He’s going to sue you for using your gas grill, for how you heat your home and water, and for the kind of cars you drive —claiming his right to clean air, water, and soil is being violated. It might seem far-fetched, but it could become a reality if two bills currently before the Connecticut General Assembly pass. These bills would create the perfect storm by sparking legal battles between neighbors, turning what should be a friendly community into a cultural battleground. It would be a case of neighbor vs. neighbor—and your homeowner’s insurance probably won’t cover it. The two bills at hand raise serious concerns: one opens the door for endless litigation under the guise of environmental rights, while the other infringes on homeowners’ privacy. Let’s break it down: The first bill, Senate Joint Resolution No. 36, Resolution Proposing a State Constitutional Amendment Concerning Environmental Rights, aims to amend the state constitution to guarantee “individual rights to clean air, water, soil, ecosystems, and a safe climate.” If passed, this may give people the right to sue companies, the state, or even their neighbors if they feel their environmental rights are being violated. This opens the floodgates for potential lawsuits —putting businesses at risk for selling lawful products and homeowners at risk if, let’s say, their neighbor objects to their gas grill. The second bill at hand would trample on the privacy rights of homeowners by letting the state government into your home. On March 20, the Connecticut General Assembly’s Government, Administration, and Elections Committee approved Senate Joint Resolution 36. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.  This bill is dangerous on its own, but even more so when paired with another piece of proposed legislation that would make home energy data available to the public. He shoots. He scores. It’s March Madness, all right. House Bill 6780, An Act Establishing a Connecticut Energy Data Access Bill of Rights, violates privacy by allowing the state to access personal data about how you heat your home and what kind of vehicle you drive. Fuel providers would be required to hand over customer lists, which would then be available to anyone through a public state website. This means your neighbors could easily know your private home details without ever setting foot inside. Our association representing 600 home heating fuel companies, opposes this. Our members are small family-owned businesses. It’s their job to deliver heating fuel, including Bioheat® Fuel and Propane, to more than half the homes in Connecticut. It’s their mission to ensure everyone is safe and warm, especially during the cold winter months. We care about our customers and will not compromise their privacy to help the government monitor them in the name of “climate goals.” What comes next? Will homeowners be compelled to switch from propane, heating oil, or natural gas to electricity? At a time when electricity costs are soaring, this is a major concern. Given the current public distrust of large utilities, it makes no sense to push homeowners toward electric heat while simultaneously infringing on their privacy rights. This is bigger than just Big Brother watching you. This is Big Brother moving into your basement and sleeping on the pull-out couch. It’s alarming. Now, when you combine these two bills, the situation looks even worse. If both become law, individuals can sue others over perceived environmental violations, armed with detailed information on how their neighbors heat their homes and get to work. And, with the current sue-happy climate, you can bet people will sue over anything they don’t like. Chris Herb is President and CEO of Connecticut Energy Marketers Association (CEMA) *For a deep dive on the issue, check out CEMA’s podcast on the issue. Your voice matters! Let’s stop this bill together. Click on the link to email your state lawmaker. We’ve made it easy for you. ...read more read less