Documents obtained by the New York Times and the Energy and Policy Institute, a watchdog group, show that the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) is paying for influencers, including HGTV star Matt Blashaw and Netflix science communicator Emily Calandrelli, to spread their pro-natural gas, anti-electrification messaging.A spokesperson for PERC told the Times that their campaign “asserts propane’s role in a clean energy future” and “promotes the advantages of a wide path to decarbonization.” Influencers “use and specify propane in their construction projects and are very familiar with propane’s advantages.”In an email to Earther, a PERC spokesperson said that the organization “is committed to being part of the solution to climate change.” The spokesperson said the group “has a clear mandate from Congress to promote the safe use of propane, provide for research and development, and educate consumers” and it “fulfills this mandate transparently, responsibly, and in full compliance with the statute.”Propane is made of fossil fuels and emits CO2 when burned.The comparison of propane to dirtier fuels here—and giving it the moniker “cleaner” or “lower carbon” when compared to these fuels—is a deliberate industry misdirect from the zero emissions future that scientists have stressed we need to achieve.Blashaw, a hunky contractor who has hosted a number of HGTV shows, routinely does feel-good local news spots extolling the virtues of propane.The Times report came during a fever-pitch week for the conversation around electrification, as Republicans in Washington seized on the idea of a ban on gas stoves to kick off a new culture war."