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The Front Burner
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA) requires
strict compliance with Federal drug
and alcohol testing regulations for
motor carriers and drivers. Employers
in violation are subject to civil and
criminal penalties.
The NEFI Alliance Consortium s i a
simple, quick and inexpensive solution
to this federal
ment.
require As a non-
profit group, the NEFI Alliance is able
to offer this comprehensive program
at a most reasonable cost.
Avoid severe fines…
Join today!
Drug y & Alcohol Testing
Regulations for Motor Carriers…
It’s The Law!
NEFI Alliance Consortium
238 Bedford Street, Suite 2
Lexington, MA 02420
For program information
and application information,
call 617-924-1000,
fax 617-924-1022, or
email
*Figures taken from Energy Information Administration’s “This Week In Petroleum.”
THE BAROMETER
Comparing Heating Oil to Other Financial Products
January 6, 2014
One Year Ago
No. 2 Fuel Oil/New York (dollars/gallon)
$2.972
$3.045
WTI Crude (dollars/barrel)
$93.12
$93.20
Brent Crude (dollars/barrel)
$106.71
$112.49
10-year Treasury Bill
2.98%
1.92%
30-year mortgage
4.53%
3.34%
Dow Jones Average
16,425
13,384
THE DIFF.
Spot Prices (Cents/Gallon) as of January 6, 2014*
New York Harbor
New York Harbor
U.S. Midcontinent
No. 2 Fuel Oil / Heating Oil
No. 2 ULSD
No. 2 ULSD
2.972
2.977
2.879
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The drive to transform heating oil to a more environmentally friendly profile suffered
a setback last month when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a statewide Bioheat
mandate. The measure, previously passed by the state Legislature, would have required
that all heating oil sold in four downstate counties (Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and
Rockland) contain 2 percent biodiesel as of Oct. 1, 2014. The mandate would have
taken effect in all the other New York counties on July 1, 2015. In vetoing the measure,
Cuomo stated that the bill does not take into account how the Bioheat mandate would
interact with the state’s existing Clean Heating Fuel Credit, which rewards customers for
choosing bioblends in place of traditional heating oil. There could have been a significant
fiscal impact because of all the new tax credit claims. He suggested the bill be considered
in a broader context in upcoming state budget discussions.
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Propane dealers in New England and across the country have been scrambling to
secure supply and paying higher prices due to a supply shortage that was months in
the making
(For more, see Page 23)
. In Maine, Jamie Py, President of the Maine Energy
Marketers Association (MEMA), said dealers are facing the same market conditions as
dealers in the Midwest and other regions. Supplies were already low heading into the
winter, due to a wet harvest season in the Midwest that spiked propane demand for
crop drying.
When the polar vortex delivered record cold to Canada and the northern U.S. last
month, demand surged, and availability became a serious problem. Py told
Oil & Energy
that propane imports in the Northeast have dwindled in recent years, replaced by less
expensive domestic propane supplies, so there was no immediate supply fallback when
demand increased nationwide. Retailers were forced to resort to driving long distances
for propane, paying higher prices, and making short deliveries. Vermont dealers were
experiencing similar problems in January, according to Vermont Fuel Dealer Association
Executive Director Matt Cota.
Maine, Vermont and several other states waived hours of service requirements to allow
long-haul drivers to stay on the road. Despite the challenges, Py said there are no complaints:
“It’s the winter we’ve been waiting for.” As of mid-January, terminals in Portsmouth, N.H.,
Newington, N.H., Providence, R.I. and elsewhere were accepting import shipments that
were expected to ease the supply crunch. “We’re not out of the woods yet,” Py cautioned.
“If there is another polar vortex, we’ll be right back in there again.”
