T R AD E S HOW WR A P - UP
An even closer working partnership with the Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA), and lobbying Congress for reau- thorization of NORA are critical elements of the plan. The lead sponsor of the NORA Reauthorization bill in the
House of Representatives, Congressman Charles Bass of New Hampshire, spoke at the NEFI Annual Meeting on June 8 and asserted his confidence in the oil heat industry’s viability and strong future, as well as the need for NORA. “I believe it’s important for the energy delivery business to
have a mechanism to raise funds where you can ensure adequate safety and research and development, along with conservation and education,” the congressman said. Bass emphasized the value of personally speaking with con-
gressmen to support the NORA bill. “I can’t emphasize how important it is to receive calls from constituents.” Regarding futures markets reforms that were passed last year,
Dan Gilligan, president of PMAA, said in the key note session, “Now the new law must be converted to regulation by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission – and the investment banks are using every political tactic to delay or weaken the impact of the law. “We will not get everything we want,” once the reforms are
defined and implemented, Gilligan said, “but we will get a lot of what we need.”
Gilligan also discussed what he called “the CO2 obsession”
and the role that biodiesel, marketed as Bioheat, could play in addressing it. “By reducing sulfur and increasing biodiesel content, the oil
heat industry can demonstrate to those who worry about CO2 that the oilheat industry can do its part,” Gilligan said. “I wish we had four billion gallons of affordable biodiesel to blend with low sulfur heating oil.” “I want to stress the term affordable,” Gilligan said. “Everyone
in this room fully comprehends the need for affordability. I am very worried that the $1 per gallon tax credit for biodiesel will not be renewed for 2012 and supplies of affordable biodiesel will not be adequate. Not only is biodiesel an important source of supply, we need bioheat to ease the CO2 concerns of powerful politicians.” In any case, “The oilheat industry has a great opportunity to
enhance its options with Bioheat and ultra low sulfur heating oil,” Gilligan said. l FON
(Author’s note: NORA and the National Biodiesel Board use the term Bioheat fuels to describe a mixture of heating oil and biodiesel. The goal is a uniform name that consumers understand and recognize. The National Biodiesel Board has licensed the trademark to NORA, so that NORA can make it available to retail and wholesale oil dealers. This licensing is to ensure that the trademark is protected and that consumers get a quality biofuel blend.)
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