FEATURED NEWS
� RI RECEIVES $ 53 MILLION IN HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE
The Biden-Harris Administration announced that due to passage of the American Rescue Plan , Rhode Island has received a record $ 52.7 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ( LIHEAP ) available this fiscal year ( October 2021 to September 2022 ).
As part of a state-by-state breakdown of funding , the Administration reported that in addition to an annual appropriation of $ 21.9 million for Rhode Island , the state received an additional $ 30.8 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan – more than double the state ’ s typical annual funding .
The total of $ 52.7 million is the highest amount Rhode Island has ever received in LIHEAP to help families struggling with the costs of home heating .
The American Rescue Plan More Than Doubled LIHEAP Funding Nationally : In 2021 , the Biden-Harris Administration and Congressional Democrats delivered $ 8 billion in LIHEAP funding nationally , more than doubling typical annual appropriations due to $ 4.5 billion provided by the American Rescue Plan . This is the largest appropriation in a single year since the program was established in 1981 . These resources are already allowing states across the country to provide more home energy relief than ever before .
The American Rescue Plan Provided Additional Historic Resources for Utility Relief Including the Emergency Rental Assistance ( ERA ) Program and State & Local Fiscal Recovery Fund : The American Rescue Plan provided other critical resources that states and localities can use to address home energy costs . ERA programs , which received an additional $ 21.5 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan , can provide help with past-due utility bills or ongoing assistance with energy costs to help distressed renters avoid shut-offs and keep current on expenses . State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds can also be deployed to help deliver energy relief to families .
FEATURED NEWS
NEWS
• RI Receives $ 53 Million in Home Energy Assistance
• NY Governor Signs Biodiesel Blending Law
• Sail Energy Acquires Rinker Oil
• D . E . Duffey & Sons Acquires Sheller Oil
EIA / Fuel News – pg 10
• EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook
• EIA Expects Rise in Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide
• $ 15 Million Grant for Strategic Biofuels Project
Business Operations – pg 20
• R . W . Beckett Acquires Nozzle-Maker Delavan
• National Biodiesel Board Is Now Clean Fuels Alliance America
• Paraco Promotes Christina Armentano to Chief Operating Officer
• Anova Awarded 2022 Industrial IoT Innovator of the Year
� NY GOVERNOR SIGNS BIODIESEL BLENDING LAW
New York State took a major step forward on the path to net-zero emissions when Governor Kathy Hochul on Dec . 23 signed a bill phasing in a requirement for all heating oil sold in-state to contain 20 % biodiesel . Once fully implemented , the new law will reduce New York ’ s annual petroleum diesel consumption by approximately two hundred million gallons per year , cutting the state ’ s annual carbon emissions by approximately 1 million metric tons , leaders of industry groups said .
The new law calls for increasingly higher blends , starting with 5 % statewide by July 1 , 2022 , then phasing up to 10 % in 2025 before the 20 % requirement takes effect in 2030 . A 5 % standard has been in place for New York City and Long Island since 2017 , and some fuel dealers are already selling blends as high as 50 % ( B50 ).
“ The measures contained in this bill , which will take a fuel blending requirement statewide , are one of the many steps the State must take in order to meet the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and reduce the States ’ greenhouse gas emissions ,” Governor Hochul wrote in an approval memo . The governor also cited biodiesel ’ s “ immediate air quality and public health benefits ” and said that she was “ pleased to sign this bill .”
New York ’ s home heating industry has been a vocal proponent of biodiesel-blended heating oil , or “ Bioheat fuel ,” for many years , and has pledged to work with government policymakers to reduce home heating fuel emissions to net-zero by 2050 . Biodiesel has been in widespread use throughout New York and the greater Northeast for more than a decade . Ongoing field use and equipment testing at the National Oilheat Research Alliance laboratory in Plainview , New York has proven Bioheat fuel ’ s viability at various blend levels . Research demonstrates that consumers do not need to modify their current oil-fired heating equipment to use this low-carbon heating fuel .
“ Bioheat fuel helps to eliminate fossil fuels and can be used without replacing existing heating systems , making it a low-cost , lowcarbon solution that is available right here , right now ,” said New York State Energy Coalition CEO Rocco J . Lacertosa and Empire State Energy Association Executive Director Kris DeLair in a joint statement . “ We applaud Governor Hochul for signing this legislation , which makes New York the largest state to enact a biodiesel blending requirement for home heating fuel . We ’ d also like to thank State Assemblyman Steve Englebright , State Senator Todd Kaminsky and the National Biodiesel Board for their leadership on this issue .”
Approximately 1.4 million homes in New York State depend on heating oil or blended Bioheat fuel for warmth each winter . The requirement taking effect next summer will immediately reduce their yearly fossil fuel use by as much as fifty million gallons in 2022 and by two hundred million gallons by 2030 .
� SAIL ENERGY ACQUIRES RINKER OIL
Sail Energy of Portsmouth , N . H ., acquired the assets related to the full-service propane , heating fuels , and motor fuels delivery business of the Rinker Oil Corporation , headquartered in Cuba , N . Y .
The long history of Rinker Oil ’ s growth began in 1936 when Howard S . Rinker acquired a gasoline service station in Cuba , the “ Cheese Capital of the World ,” and shortly after that began delivering various fuels to local farms and homes . In the 1950s , Rinker ’ s son Tim joined the business , and ownership was transferred to Tim in the early 1970s . Tim continued the company ’ s growth through the turbulent business climate of the 1970s
6 FEBRUARY 2022 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www . fueloilnews . com