Bipartisan legislation addresses propane supply

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., introduced bipartisan legislation that he says will better secure the nation’s propane supply.

Peters’ Securing Our Propane Supply Act – which he introduced with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. – would direct the Department of Energy (DOE), in consultation with the Energy Information Administration (EIA), to study and address the harm that propane shortages have on communities in Michigan and across the country. In particular, the bill would direct DOE to evaluate the effectiveness of establishing a National Strategic Propane Reserve to prevent future shortages.

The Senate first introduced this bill in February 2023, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) points out. At that time, NPGA’s legislative staff worked closely with the Propane Supply and Logistics Committee to provide edits for the initial draft of the bill.

Michigan residents use more propane for home heating than any other state in the country, Peters notes in a news release, leaving its communities vulnerable to supply shortages. An estimated 320,000 Michigan households use propane as their primary heating fuel. In the Upper Peninsula, that number is disproportionately higher, where roughly 18 percent of households primarily heat with propane.

In 2014 and 2021, Michigan declared a state of emergency in the face of local propane shortages. Peters’ legislation aims to strengthen the national propane supply, lower energy costs and ensure Michiganders can heat their homes during the winter.

“Hundreds of thousands of Michigan households rely on propane to heat their homes in the dead of winter, but supply shortages have led to higher prices and put folks’ safety at risk,” Peters says in a statement. “This bipartisan bill would help ensure that families can reliably and affordably heat their homes when temperatures drop.”

The bill faces an uncertain future, but it signals congressional support for collaborating with the propane industry to prevent future prolonged supply disruptions, adds NPGA, whose staff remains in regular contact with the bill’s authors regarding future consideration of the legislation.

Hours-of-service exemption sought

NPGA is seeking a five-year hours-of-service (HOS) exemption from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for propane delivery drivers.

NPGA’s request would give drivers an exemption from various HOS requirements between Dec. 15 and March 15 each year to enable the propane industry to better prepare and respond to emergencies threatening human health and safety during winter. The exemption would allow drivers to drive up to 12 hours per day and be on duty up to 15 hours per day, without weekly limits, and to replace the 34-hour restart with a 24-hour restart, with prior notice by NPGA to FMCSA.

The Federal Register published information about the application for exemption and the extension of a comment period until Aug. 15. NPGA says it has proactively reached out to interested stakeholders such as the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and the National Association of State Energy Officials offering supplementary information on the request.

Featured homepage photo by LP Gas staff

Related articles

Bill would require study into propane reserve feasibility

April 2023: National strategic propane reserve