N O R A U P D AT E
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vides technical assistance, rebates, and other
financial incentives to help Vermont households and businesses reduce their energy costs
with energy-efficient equipment, lighting,
and approaches to construction and major
renovation. Efficiency Vermont, operated
by a private nonprofit organization, partners
with contractors, suppliers, and retailers of
efficient products and services throughout
the state, according to its website.
OMA's goal to push implementation of
ultra-low sulfur fuel is a good example of
a campaign that began on broad scale and
now is being pursued state by state, Hedden
said. After the broad or national effort
struggled to gain traction, the state-based
approach has made some headway, notably
in New York State last year, he said.
"Just about every oilheat state at this
point has a plan to implement ULSD,"
Hedden observed. "It's just that they are
three or four or five years out in some cases.
We're trying to shorten up that time and get
it introduced quicker."
OMA is also advocating for biofuel. The
Oilheat Institute of Rhode Island, headed
by Executive Director/CEO Julie Gill "just
had a very nice victory," Hedden said. The
governor of Rhode Island signed legislation
that will ensure all of Rhode Island's heating
oil becomes Bioheat by 2014, according to a
report by the National Biodiesel Board in its
magazine. Starting July 1, 2014, every gallon
of oil heat in Rhode Island will contain at
least 2 percent biodiesel, the board reported.
The legislation gradually increases the blend
from 2 percent to 5 percent by 2017.
Peter J. Cullen, chief operating officer,
Wohler USA, Inc., Danvers, Mass., and
chairman of OMA, singled out the research
and development funds that OMA invests
"to try to help all of the manufacturers in
the industry do a better job of providing
equipment and services to keep the industry
strong."
"It's vital that we do everything in our
power" to battle the "alarming number of
gas conversions that we've seen in the last
few years," Cullen said. "We really have
increased efficiency and cleanliness of operations." Fuel oil and oilheat equipment have
made "tremendous strides" to become "ecofriendly," Cullen said.
Roger Marran, president of Energy
Kinetics, Lebanon, N.J., who is vice chair
of OMA, said that a key question is, "How
do we communicate the benefits of selling
high-efficiency equipment?" He said, "High
efficiency is the cornerstone of what we need
to be competitive."
Marran cited research within NORA's
Fuel Savings Analysis (FSA) program,
particularly a study by NORA and the
New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority detailing that
the savings to be realized through high-
efficiency equipment can save a consumer
more than one-third on a typical fuel bill.
That research finding is a big selling
point for fuel oil dealers since, as Marran
noted, "with today's prices a lot of dealers
are focused – as much as they can be – on
helping their customers have as an affordable heating season as they can."
www.fueloilnews.com | FUEL OIL NEWS | OCTOBER 2013
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