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Propane Days participants ascend Hill, push support for Propane Gas Act of 2011

July 8, 2011 By    

About 330 people who attended this year’s Propane Days in Washington, D.C., lobbied their congressional leaders on new, standalone propane industry legislation that was introduced in the House and Senate.

The Propane Gas Act of 2011 would extend for five years the federal tax credits for propane used as a motor fuel (autogas), for vehicles burning propane and for propane refueling infrastructure. Propane Days participants went to Capitol Hill asking their respective state leaders to cosponsor the legislation.

Legislators also were asked to support parity between propane and natural gas and the enactment of a clean reauthorization of Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards regulations to help provide additional regulatory certainty.

“Marketers and suppliers have a responsibility to grow the industry,” said Blossman Gas President and CEO Stuart Weidie, who also chairs the National Propane Gas Association’s Governmental Affairs Committee.

“We have to do a better job of creating customers, but there’s more to it now – more with policymakers. In the last 10 years, the importance of our industry being active in Washington has been elevated. Building these relationships is critically important,” Weidie said.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a noted industry ally, and Frank Luntz, a political consultant, pollster and commentator for Fox News, were guest speakers at Propane Days, held for the seventh time.

The event also included a forum to discuss operation and governmental oversight of the three major propane pipelines. The event was hosted by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) representatives Marc Spitzer and John Norris. FERC regulates the transmission of natural gas and oil.

Due to concerns rooted in the consolidation of pipelines in recent years, the National Propane Gas Association last summer launched a new effort to enhance advocacy between the commission and the association.

The NPGA board of directors also named new officers while in Washington, D.C.: Carl Hughes of Inergy as chairman of the board, Ray Murray of Ray Murray Inc. as chairman elect, Gary France of France Propane Service Inc. as vice chairman and David Lugar of AmeriGas as treasurer.

About the Author:

Kevin Yanik was a senior editor at LP Gas Magazine.

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