For years, the initials OESP have stood for the “Oil and Energy Service Professionals” association. Now they stand for “Organization of Energy Service Professionals.” The OESP Board of Directors unanimously supported the name change, saying that it better reflects the trade association’s role and service to its members.
“The energy sector is quickly transitioning from traditional fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, such as biodiesel and renewable propane,” OESP President Bob O’Brien said. “Our new name shows we are working across all energy sectors, aligning with the push toward more clean and diverse energy solutions.”
In changing the name, OESP says, it is responding to the growing role of renewables and the need for energy professionals to align with new technologies and practices.
OESP also recognizes the name change as a way to appeal to a larger audience, representing diverse energy-related fields such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and emerging technologies: “No longer is the OESP membership tied exclusively to fossil fuels,” the group says.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s budget spokesman, Chris Collibee, confirmed that the administration would pay deliverable fuel vendors for LIHEAP deliveries until the federal shutdown has been resolved, reported CEMA Pipeline, the newsletter of the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association, in its Oct. 30 issue.
Earlier in October, CEMA sent a letter to Lamont requesting that the state fund the energy assistance program/LIHEAP until the federal government shutdown ends.
The funding commitment will ensure that heating oil, propane, and kerosene dealers who participate in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program are paid for deliveries made until the federal government reopens, and federal dollars are available again to pay for future deliveries, the newsletter reported.
On Oct. 29, Energy Marketers of America’s (EMA) heating oil state associations as well as the National Energy and Fuels Institute (NEFI), National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) and other groups sent a letter to Congress requesting continued funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) during the shutdown. The letter highlighted delays in processing applications and payments as cold weather arrives, affecting low-income households and small fuel retailers. For more, turn to the News section, page 6.
The PHCC Educational Foundation’s National HVAC Apprentice Contest, typically held during PHCC CONNECT, is being updated to create a competition addressing the skills apprentices need today, plus the technology they can expect to work with in the future. Contractors from the PHCC of South Dakota chapter are leading that effort, and the newly updated HVAC contest will run at the S.D. state convention next February.
The Foundation, a partnership of contractors, manufacturers, and wholesalers, was founded in 1987 to serve the plumbing-heating-cooling industry by preparing contractors and their employees to meet the challenges of a continuously changing marketplace. For more information, contact a member of the Foundation staff at 800-533-7694 or visit http://phccfoundation.org. l FON