Page 32 - Oil and Energy-February 2013
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32 • OIL
&
ENERGY
Bioheat
b. Less competitive.............................. 19%
c. About the same................................ 72%
18. Bioheat
®
fuel has been in the
mainstream for several years. Please
check those items that describe your
exposure to Bioheat
®
:
a. Attended a conference ..................... 40%
b. My fuel wholesale partner
discussed it with me........................ 26%
c. I saw outdoor media,
bus, train, or billboards ................... 11%
d. I heard a radio spot ........................ 20%
e. I saw a truck wrapped
with Bioheat
®
fuel graphics ............. 36%
f. I read an article discussing
Bioheat
®
fuel ................................... 68%
g. In a communication from
my Oilheat Association .................. 41%
h. Other ................................................. 8%
Service/Equipment issues ................(23%)
Selling it now..................................(22%)
Have purchased in the
past, but not now ............................(22%)
No exposure ....................................(11%)
Meetings with BioFuel provider......(11%)
Self-education .................................(11%)
19. Have you ever visited
a. Yes ................................................... 27%
b. No.................................................... 73%
20. If yes, did you think the website was
informative/valuable?
a. Yes ................................................... 97%
b. No...................................................... 3%
21. In reviewing pricing for Bioheat
®
fuel
in your market, is it being priced at:
a. Premium to heating oil.................... 36%
b. Slight premium to heating oil ......... 40%
c. Same as heating oil .......................... 24%
d. Slight discount to heating oil ............ 0%
e. Discounted to heating oil .................. 0%
22. Are you aware that testing is currently
underway to amend ASTM D 396 by
moving to higher blend of biodiesel in
home heating oil?
a. Yes ................................................... 45%
b. No.................................................... 55%
23. Are you aware of any problems with
the use of Bioheat
®
fuel?
a. Yes ................................................... 49%
b. No.................................................... 51%
If yes, please describe:
Blending issues ................................(10%)
Freeze point is higher,
gelling/clogging issues.....................(61%)
Product separates/breaks down .......(13%)
Quality ..............................................(3%)
24. Would you like to see the use of
Bioheat
®
fuel mandated in your state?
a. Yes ................................................... 29%
b. No.................................................... 71%
25. Everything being equal, would you
prefer Bioheat
®
fuel as your home
heating oil product? Or are you
satisfied with generic home heating oil
high or ultra-low sulfur?
a. I would like to transition
to Bioheat
®
fuel................................ 24%
b. Today’s heating oil is
fine with me .................................... 50%
c. I would sell both regular oil
and Bioheat
®
fuel ............................. 26%
Complete survey results are available on Gray,
Gray & Gray’s web site at:
or by calling (781) 407-0300.
Fuel Consumption
Fossil Fuels Dominate U.S. Energy Consumption
WHILE THE UNITED STATES PRODUCED A
record 78 quadrillion Btu (quads) of energy
in 2011, it consumed more than 97 quads
of energy in various forms, according to
a report by the U.S. Energy Information
Administration (EIA). Nonrenewable fossil
fuels made up more than four-fifths of U.S.
energy consumption.
As has been the case since 1950,
petroleum was the most-consumed fuel
in 2011, at 35.3 quads. Use of petroleum,
which includes crude oil as well as natural
gas plant liquids, has fallen recently from
its peak historical level of 40.4 quads
in 2005.
Natural gas, which had been consumed
in roughly equal amounts to coal for several
years, accounts for almost 25 quads com-
pared to coal’s 20 quads in 2011. Natural
gas and renewable energy were the only
fuel sources whose consumption increased
in 2011.
Renewable energy consumption sur-
passed nuclear in 2011, with 9.1 quads
compared to nuclear’s 8.3 quads. Renewable
energy includes 4.4 quads of biomass energy
– wood, wood waste, and the biomass por-
tions of fuel ethanol and biodiesel – as well
as 4.7 quads of noncombustible renewable
energy, which includes conventional hydro-
electric power, geothermal, solar thermal,
photovoltaic, and wind.
Time series for several energy produc-
tion characteristics, along with details about
data collection and conversion, are available
in EIA’s Annual Energy Review.
