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.CEMA NEWS
COVID Vaccinations for Essential Employees — Important Energy Industry Survey
CEMA is working with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) to secure the heating oil/Bioheat, propane, gasoline, fuel transport, storage terminal, and HVAC industries as critical infrastructure for the purposes of prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations. We are being asked as an industry to fill out a survey to determine if your employees will be eligible for early vaccination.
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OSHA COVID Guidance for In-Home HVAC Work
OSHA has released guidance for workers involved in in-home repair (the full guidance can be found HERE), which includes HVAC, plumbing, and electricians. Click on the link above for the full guidance. Generally, they say employers should assess the hazards to which their workers may be exposed; evaluate the risk of exposure; and select, implement, and ensure workers use controls to prevent exposure. You may already have many of these policies and procedures in place. View these as best practices, not legal requirements.
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OSHA COVID Guidance for General Retail — Including C-Stores
This section provides guidance for workers and employers involved in retail operations that remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those operations with high customer volumes and in critical sectors. This includes retail pharmacies and drug stores, grocery stores, and other entities that sell essential supplies. This guidance supplements the general interim guidance for workers and employers of workers at increased risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
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CT Governor's Council on Climate Change Proposes Carbon Taxes
In its final report last week to the Governor's Council on Climate Change (GC3), its working group responsible for policy recommendations recommended, among many other things, a carbon tax across all sectors of the state's economy. Power generation is already in the works with the RGGI program. De-carbonizing the transportation sector would be accomplished through the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI).
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COVID, K-Factors and Confusion
Written By: Philip J. Baratz, Angus Energy
The world spun out of control almost 9 months ago, and every industry, company, and person has been trying to figure things out since then. In the groups of winners and losers, our industry is most definitely in the "winner" category. We sell essential products and services and for those who focus their attention on the residential markets, it is easy to believe that with more people working from home and learning from home, volumes will be increasing this winter — and possibly for years to come. The latest numbers from the EIA are predicting as much as a 5% increase in demand per HDD for heating oil!
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In Memoriam — Paul Winiarski, Stanley Oil
Paul S. Winiarski, 67, of Wethersfield, beloved husband of Ginette (Antolini) Winiarski, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, November 12, 2020. Born in Hartford on February 28, 1953, he was the son of the late Stanley and Eleanor (Vogus) Winiarski. Paul was a proud graduate of South Catholic High School and Central Connecticut State University.
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Democrats in CT General Assembly Increase their Dominance
After almost all the votes have been counted, Democrats in the State Senate will hold 24 seats to the Republican 12 for the next two years. For all results, by Senate District, see HERE. Similarly, Democrats also padded their majority in the State House, winning 97 seats to the Republican 54. House election results can be viewed here. While Democrats have the necessary two-thirds majority to override a governor’s veto, the House falls short of such a majority.
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Hazardous Material Training Compliance Now Required
From EMA
Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued an enforcement waiver for the reoccurring hazardous material training that CDL drivers with hazardous material endorsements must undergo every three years. PHMSA issued the enforcement waiver due to the forced closures and social distancing limitations imposed by the COVID-19 emergency. PHMSA first issued the training waiver on March 23, 2020 and subsequently extended it through October 31, 2020.
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New Edition of DOT ERG Requires Update of In-Cab Emergency Response Information
From EMA
Every four years, the U.S. DOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) publishes an updated version of its Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) required for use by CDL drivers hauling hazardous materials. The latest version of the emergency response guide, ERG 2020, is now available. ERG 2020 updates and replaces the ERG 2016 edition currently in use by energy marketers. The ERG guidebook is intended for use by first responders during the initial phase of a transportation incident involving hazardous materials. Click here to read the full Regulatory Report.
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PGANE/NEFI Winter Weather Outlook Webinar Dec. 16
The Northeast Energy Weather Service will present two free winter forecast webinars with meteorologist John Bagioni. These detailed previews of the coming season are developed specifically for the Northeast heating fuel industry and highly recommended for all delivery companies' dispatch and inventory managers.
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LIHEAP Funding for 2021
Report by Jim Collura, NEFI Vice President & Director of Government Affairs (jim.collura@nefi.com)
The Trump administration has released approximately $3.36 billion in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding for Fiscal Year 2021. This amount is 90% of the total or annualized funds made available under the FY2021 Continuing Resolution (CR).
Click here for a chart that breaks out individual state allocations.
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Webinar: Managing Through a COVID-19 Winter
Thursday, November 19th at 2pm ET.
Register HERE
While many propane and oil companies successfully adapted to the first outbreak of COVID-19 last spring, it is quite another challenge to go through an entire heating season with the pandemic resurgent.
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EIA 2020-2021 Winter Energy Outlook
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is a division of the federal Department of Energy. Among other things, they provide a forecast of the upcoming winter energy for homeowners, as reported here, and they also survey heating oil prices (you may have received their surveys in the past). Here's what they're forecasting for this winter, just released this week. Text in italics are direct quotes from their report.
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NACS "Crack the Code Experience" Online Virtual Conference Nov. 2 - Dec. 4
NACS is offering five weeks of unlimited access to the new Crack the Code Experience. Beginning November 2 and running through December 4, convenience retailers and suppliers from around the globe will have 24/7 access to education, new-to-channel products and powerful connections through an innovative online experience and curated marketplace. Even if you missed the first weeks of live events, all presentations are recorded and available for you to view through the end of the year if you've registered. Registration is now open through Dec. 4 at $595 per attendee.
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.INDUSTRY NEWS
'It's a sea change:' How Biden's climate plans could help CT
greenwich time
Local environmental advocates are feeling optimistic after President-elect Joe Biden listed climate change as a top priority for his administration — and they are looking ahead to the work that can be done to improve the state’s environment.
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Charlie Baker re-evaluating TCI in Massachusetts amid coronavirus pandemic as advocates urge support
Boston Herald
Gov. Charlie Baker said governors are re-evaluating support of a controversial carbon tax designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions as advocates renew calls for its passage. “We’re living at a point in time right now that’s dramatically different than the point in time we were living in when people’s expectations about miles traveled and all the rest were a lot different,” Baker said Tuesday during a press conference at the State House.
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UPDATE: President-elect Biden's climate, energy plans may hinge on Senate races
S&P Global
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has developed aggressive climate and clean energy plans that could result in sweeping changes to the energy sector. But the potential for Republicans to keep control of the U.S. Senate could upset those ambitions, all but ensuring a partisan battle that will delay, if not block, major climate legislation.
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The environmental impact of lithium batteries
Institute for Energy Research
During the Obama-Biden administration, hydraulic fracturing was accused of causing a number of environmental problems — faucets on fire, contamination of drinking water, etc. — but the administration’s own Environmental Protection Agency could not validate those accusations.
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Regulators approve electricity rate increases for Eversource, UI
NBC Conneticut
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority Friday approved an electricity rate increase for Eversource and United Illuminating.
The new rates will go into effect from Jan. 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021.
For Eversource, the new rate will amount to around an increase of $7.11 per month on the supply portion of the bill for a customer who averages around 700 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month, according to the company.
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Report: Pandemic pares CT's growing clean-energy industry
Hartford Business
Clean-energy jobs have grown in recent years, but the events of 2020 are expected to pare back that progress. That's according to a new study — The Connecticut Clean Energy Industry Report — jointly produced by several state energy agencies, utilities and other officials.
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Major environmental group urges NJ NOT to join weak climate pact
Insider NJ
Clean Water Action announced today its opposition to New Jersey joining the proposed multi-state agreement, Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI). Clean Water Action is the first major environmental group in New Jersey to join the NJ Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA) and Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) in urging the Murphy Administration to reject the pact in favor of mandatory pollution reductions, targeted funding and action on overburdened communities, and more participatory decision — making especially in communities most affected.
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