The home heating oil industry has a long and proud history, and Fuel Oil News has been there supporting it since 1935. It is an industry that has faced many challenges during that time. In its 77th year, Fuel Oil News is doing more than just holding
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FUELS By KEITH REID NORA Reauthorization The stars are approaching alignment but a few critical gaps remain I n 2000, Congress created The National Oilheat Research Alliance to provide consumer education, professional education and research and development relative to oil-based heating. NORA was also a great deal for taxpayers as it was industry funded through a fee of $.002 per wholesale gallon of heating oil sold. On the consumer education front, NORA promoted oilheat as a contemporary fuel that is as safe, clean and (with the latest appliances) as efficient a heating fuel as any other heating fuel on the market. NORA's professional education activities were centered on the organization's silver certification program and provided continuing education, training and certification for industry service professionals. NORA also funded research, typically through Brookhaven National Laboratory, that addresses a range of performance capabilities from the burner to the tank. Unfortunately, NORA was passed with a sunset provision that ran on a five-year basis. It was reauthorized in 2005 but failed to be reauthorized in 2010. With each year that has passed there has been increasing uncertainty over being able to reauthorized NORA and restore the work it was so successfully conducting for the industry. A recent FON interview with Dan Gilligan, president of the Petroleum Marketers Association of America, indicates that the opportunity for reauthorization has seldom been brighter since 2010, and that this is a hot button issue for the PMAA in coming months. "The primary focus in the last six months or so is been trying to get NORA reauthorized and we see some opportunities," said Gilligan. "We have turned every stone and we have met with the key committee staff from each party in both the House and the Senate. For the first time in many years, we have solid support to reauthorized NORA and we want to make sure that if the opportunity presents itself we can make it happen." Leadership support comes from Sen. Ron Wyden 16 JANUARY 2014 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com (D-Ore.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Ml) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Gilligan stated that the support was strong, and even Rep. Waxman (typically no friend of oil) is on board. According to Gilligan, previous resistance on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources had been encountered from Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), or more precisely his chief of staff, who appeared to be carrying a grudge that was most likely directed at the Propane Education & Research Council. However, since PERC has a permanent authorization, that grudge was redirected towards NORA. With Bingaman retiring that impediment has been cleared. In addition, the Republican side of the aisle, which has been facing some fairly stiff infighting over the role in size of government, appears to be unified behind the reauthorization. "We've gone out of our way to reach out to 'ultraconservative' members of the House," Gilligan said. "In fact, 10 of our cosponsors in the House would be defined as very conservative Southern Republicans in red states and that gives Upton comfort that he is not going to have problems on his right flank." Even though the stars seem to be aligning for NORA reauthorization there are some roadblocks in the way. "I feel good that we have all the support we need from the important players, it now just comes down to finding a vehicle," Gilligan said. "Most congressmen, when they have a bill that's moving the first thing they will say is, 'Don't put anything on it.' But the way it works is if you have a bill that's moving everybody gets a piece of it." Unfortunately, there are not a lot of bills moving through Congress right now. While some may applaud the gridlock it's coming at a very unfortunate time for NORA reauthorization. Gilligan noted that there was the possibility of