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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4 APRIL 2016 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com DATELINE BREAKING NEWS Schuylkill Oil Heat Association exists to promote and educate current and prospective heating oil customers on the benefits of oil heat and to support local oil companies, providing a wide range of products and services to enhance their customers' satisfaction. To find a member dealer or to learn more about the Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association log onto: www.bsoha.org. The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church with its own governance and practice. Its doctrine follows the mainstream of Christian belief and its articles of faith emphasize God's saving purposes. To learn more about the Salvation Army log onto: www.salvationarmy.org. AEC: GAS EXPORT DECISION STIRS DEBATE OVER MASSACHUSETTS PIPELINE The U.S. Department of Energy recently approved a natural gas exportation plan that casts a new light on the proposed natural gas pipelines that have been proposed for the New England region, according to a report by WBUR radio. The DOE permit enables natural gas sellers to move fracked gas through a New England pipeline and across the Maine border into Canada, where it would be shipped abroad as liquefied natural gas. Pipeline developers have suggested that new pipelines, which are being subsidized by utility customers, will serve customers in Massachusetts and neighboring states, but observers are now suggesting that the true motivation is to serve gas producers and their export projects. "Opponents of the construction of two new natural gas pipelines in Massachusetts claim the DOE's decision demonstrates that the state already has enough natural gas and doesn't need new pipelines," WBUR reported. The natural gas is being extracted in Pennsylvania. "There's plenty of gas in shale formations there, and in just eight years the use of new hydraulic fractur- ing technology has transformed the U.S. from a natural gas importer to the largest producer in the world," WBUR reports. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has questioned whether more pipelines are needed. "Who's going to benefit from this new energy source? Massachusetts is at a really important crossroads, and when it comes to making decisions about our energy future, we need to take the time to get it right," she said. Healey commissioned a study in 2015 that concluded that more pipelines are a permanent $8 billion solution to a tem- porary problem. Healey says natural gas shortfalls occur for just a few hours on a handful of the coldest days of the year. "My concern is making sure electric ratepayers aren't going to be stuck with a big bill for building out new gas pipeline infrastruc- ture," she said. "This particular pipeline is only being built to satisfy profiteers who want to export to Europe," attorney Vincent DeVito told WBUR. He represents Northeast Energy Solutions, a coalition opposed to the pipeline that the Texas- based company Kinder Morgan wants to build through southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. He says that Kinder Morgan has found buyers for only half the gas its proposed pipeline can carry. Most of the fuel will wind up being exported to Canada and beyond by reversing the flow of an existing pipeline, he added. "This month the Department of Energy granted two companies permis- sion to use the pipeline to export gas from Dracut to Canada, where the gas would be turned into a liquid and then re-exported on special tankers to nations around the world — in effect, floating international pipelines," the article states. "It proves what a lot of people sus- pected all along," DeVito told WBUR. "Even though Kinder Morgan never fes- sed up to it, it really is an export project." U.S. Sen. Edward Markey calls the gas export decision "a disaster." "The com- panies proposing these pipeline projects need to be more honest about the ultimate fate of the gas that would be transported through Massachusetts," the Democratic senator said. "This LNG export strategy will harm our consumers and not help." Exporting gas will increase prices domestically and everyone will pay higher utility bills here, according to WBUR. "Electric customers have never been asked to pay for gas pipelines before and if it turns out in five or 10 years that that was a bad bet, well, too bad, we've already paid for it," said Peter Shattuck, direc- tor of the Clean Energy Initiative, told WBUR. "The real risk is that forcing the public to underwrite gas pipelines carries enormous risks for the climate and con- sumers if exports link us to higher-priced global markets." T o r e a d m o r e , a n d f o r a l i n k t o t h e o r i g i n a l W B U R s t o r y , v i s i t AmericanEnergyCoalition.com. l F O N CALENDAR OF EVENTS APRIL 2016 NPGA Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo April 8-10 Music City Center Nashville, TN Tel: 1-202-466-7200 Email: registration@npga.org Information: www.npgaexpo.com/ MAY 2016 SIGMA Spring Convention May 10-13 Hyatt Gainey Ranch Scottsdale, AZ Tel: 703-709-7000. Webb Southern VT Event May 12 F.W Webb Rutland, VT Branch Contact: Nick Markowski Email: njm@fwwebb.com Tel: 802-775-1922 ext. 42 Eastern Energy Expo May 22-26 Foxwoods Resort Casino Mashantucket, CT Online registration: http://easternenergyexpo.com/