Shane Sweet

BIO :

Shane Sweet is principal of Shane Sweet LLC , a Vermont-based energy products , services and trade association consultancy . The firm provides contract services to companies and organizations connected with the energy industry , including propane , heating oil and motor fuel sectors . Clients include Van Smith Co ., a mid-Atlantic based distributorship and consultancy where he is director , Northeastern U . S . Sweet can be reached at shanemsweet @ gmail . com .

Jan . 1 brought new fuel marketer leaders to the Empire State Energy Association in the form of a new chairman and president . Tasked with leading this New York energy trade group for the next two years were Joe Alonzo , president of Wever Petroleum , a multi-fuel marketer based in Mechanicville , and Eli Van Etten , vice president of multi-fuel marketer VEO Energy of Monticello .

Founded in 1941 , the association works governmental relations and legislative issues with its regulatory counsel , Emilio Petroccione , and Ric Scanlan of Harter Secrest & Emery . These well-respected advocates address issues for ESEA in Albany and throughout the state .

On a national level , ESEA is the recognized affiliated association for New York State for the Petroleum Marketers Association of America . PMAA represents the petroleum dealer ’ s interests in Washington , D . C ., on legislative and regulatory fronts .

I asked Alonzo and Van Etten if they felt that ESEA and other similar energy trade groups in the U . S . had enough horsepower to place our industry on an even footing against those interests that are contrary to our own . Both said that our retail energy industry has historically been on the defensive against legislative and regulatory policies .

“ I ’ m tired of being on the defensive ,” said Van Etten , calling for the retail energy sector to take an offensive posture rather than “ reacting to what is being thrown at us .” Both Alonzo and Van Etten pointed to legislative initiatives like the “ New Green Deal ” that seeks to push fossil fuels completely out of the energy equation and said that of the mainstream energy sources that are available here in the U . S ., nonutility fuels have continually striven to improve over the past few decades . Both pointed to the reduction in sulfur content for over-theroad diesel that began in 1994 , the reduction in sulfur for heating oils in New York and other states , and the movement toward minimum bio-heat and biodiesel blends in New York and other states .

Both acknowledged the David versus Goliath dynamic in which the retail energy industry is David ; resources put to the fight by Goliath , the utility industry , exceed non-utility energy sources by orders of magnitude , not to mention the public policy bureaucracy that , some say , not only protects but promotes the fuels sold by the utilities .

“ The industry needs every hand on deck . Right now ,” Alonzo said . Van Etten agreed .

Both Alonzo and Van Etten acknowledged that the interests of heating oil , propane and multi-fuel trade groups have been undermined by a lack of robust participation by all retailers . Participation rates vary by association , but fuel retailer engagement in many of our energy trade groups is nothing short of anemic . This places the burden of advocacy on a minority of retail fuel marketers in a given state or region .

Alonzo referenced the nearly 1,000 bills that ESEA is tracking in New York alone as an example of how resource-intensive ESEA ’ s advocacy work is today .

“ When we are outnumbered ten-to-one by the utilities , we cannot commit a like degree of necessary lobbyists and advocates in state capitals , State Houses , never-ending regulatory meetings and policy events . Being on the offense is rarely achievable ,” Van Etten said . “ We ’ ve never had a greater need for all retailers to support what their trade associations are doing .”

As for ESEA , both Alonzo and Van Etten plan on a deliberate effort in 2019 and beyond to secure a greater degree of support from the heating fuel providers and associated companies in New York State .

ESEA counts over 300,000 employees statewide in our industry . In addition to government relations and regulatory advocacy , ESEA conducts training and education programs , and publishes a biweekly newsletter , an annual ESEA magazine , an ESEA membership directory , and more .

“ We can ’ t do this alone ,” Van Etten said . “ Amen ,” Alonzo added . l FON

48 APRIL 2019 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www . fueloilnews . com