Propane supply disruptions mark first part of 2025-26 winter

The propane industry faced two November 2025 incidents – about a week apart – that disrupted supply in two regions of the country. Here’s a look at what happened.

PADD 1

Service at the Marcus Hook terminal in Pennsylvania has been steadily improving since a Nov. 19 incident involving an electric transformer disabled the propane truck-loading rack for several days and left lingering problems, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) reported.

“Marcus Hook is a pretty significant terminal,” says Ben Nussdorf, general counsel and senior vice president of regulatory and industry affairs for the NPGA. “It provides service and supply to almost the entire mid-Atlantic coast. It is the most significant supply point north of Apex, North Carolina, the termination point of the Dixie Pipeline.”

Energy Transfer Partners operates the terminal. As a result of the power outage and winter weather in general, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a regional hours-of-service waiver for nine states.

“We try to not only rely on long-distance trucking but also try to work well with rail companies,” Nussdorf says. “We have been trying to build stronger relationships with [rail companies] to make sure rail shipments can be prioritized and switches can be ensured because in situations where the pipeline cannot fully service demand, we want to make sure there are additional supplies incoming – whether that be from truck, rail or ship.”

PADD 2

The east leg of the Mid-America Pipeline in Kansas experienced a disruption on Nov. 27 that impacted propane supply in the Upper Midwest, NPGA reported.

The pipeline was shut down for repairs for about a week, and concerns remained in early January that it wasn’t running at full capacity. Enterprise Products Partners operates the pipeline. As a result of the pipeline break, operational issues and winter weather in general, the FMCSA issued a regional hours-of-service waiver for 10 states.

Nussdorf says it’s important for the industry to communicate supply issues – whether related to pipelines, hours of service or rail – right away.

“Contact NPGA through our state affairs team or through your state representative,” he says. “We can’t help if we don’t know the problems you’re experiencing. We can use our relationships, we can use people within the supply and logistics team, to reach out to pipeline companies, rail companies or the relevant authorities in order to get you the relief that you need. We want to be there to help you.”

NPGA also advises propane marketers not to be reliant on a single source of supply.

“If there are rail terminals, pipeline terminals or other opportunities for you to source supply, especially as demand creeps up and conditions become more challenging, we would encourage you to be flexible,” Nussdorf adds.

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