Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., introduced legislation to amend the U.S. tax code and make permanent a 50 percent depreciation bonus on new equipment and property purchases. The tax break previously expired. According to a press release from Roberts’ office, the bill would allow businesses to deduct half the cost of new purchases immediately. The idea behind the legislation is to... read more
Propane autogas has made tremendous strides in the school bus market over the last few years. A number of transportation directors now see the value of switching from diesel to propane, lessening their fleet’s fuel costs while creating a cleaner environment for kids riding their buses. A similar diesel-to-propane development is brewing in agriculture, says Roy Willis, president and CEO... read more
Nearly one in three hogs and pigs in the United States is bred and raised in Iowa. That’s more than 40 million hogs and pigs produced in Iowa alone each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report. And, considering six months are typically needed to feed out a pig, more than 20... read more
Woodstream Corp. introduced the Mosquito Magnet Independence trap, a propane-fueled machine that attracts, captures and kills mosquitoes and other biting insects. The trap covers 1 acre of land and is designed to reduce the number of mosquitoes in seven to 10 days, according to the company. The unit works by converting propane into carbon dioxide, which is combined with heat... read more
Developing alternative ways to transport propane to customers is a normal obstacle for Crowley Petroleum. The company, which delivers various fuel products across the United States and focuses on the maritime logistics industry, based its propane department in Anchorage, Alaska. David Blazejewski, director of Crowley’s petroleum terminals, says the company provides propane across Alaska to residential, industrial and commercial accounts.... read more
Former CBS anchor Dan Rather interviewed a 25-year-old several years ago who had emigrated from Cuba and opened a thriving restaurant in Miami. When Rather asked how the man became so successful he replied, “My mother told me to always say, ‘Please, thank you and excuse me.'” Saying “thank you” in business today seems almost Pollyanna-like, but there is more... read more
Energy Distribution Partners (EDP) acquired the retail divisions of Williams Oil Company Inc., a family-owned business in Towanda, Pa. The Williams family has delivered propane to more than 14,000 customers in northern Pennsylvania and southern New York for more than 60 years. The Williams Oil Company acquisition is EDP’s third acquisition in the past year. EDP continues to focus its... read more
Roy Willis, president and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), sat down with LP Gas magazine at the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo in Atlanta. While PERC decides how to proceed without a federal restriction on its consumer education efforts, LP Gas Managing Editor Kevin Yanik asked Willis market-specific questions. Several... read more
Exports of propane from the United States have been increasing rapidly since 2011, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In April 2015, propane exports averaged 636,000 barrels per day (bpd), which is 222,000 bpd above last year’s levels. U.S. propane production and exports were 190,000 bpd and 201,000 bpd higher, respectively, in the first four months of 2015... read more
Enterprise Products Partners LP is undertaking several projects to convert and expand segments of its petrochemicals pipeline network. One project involves the 149-mile North Dean pipeline, which will be converted from refinery grade propylene (RGP) service to polymer grade propylene (PGP) service. According to a press release, RGP is a mixture of propane and propylene that is fractionated into PGP.... read more
