Shane Sweet

BIO :

Shane Sweet is the Principal of Shane Sweet LLC , a Florida-based energy consulting firm to the propane , heating oil and motor fuel sectors . The company represents products and services , and works with trade associations . In 2020 Sweet co-founded VirtualPropaneExpo . com and in 2021 he co-founded propaneandoiltraining . com with colleague Mike Digiorgio . He also consults with Subject Matter Experts on regulatory compliance for legal actions involving propane . In addition to 15 years in the retail oil and propane business , Sweet served as the primary executive for the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association , the New England Fuel Institute ( now the National Energy & Fuels Institute ) and the New York Propane Gas Association . Sweet can be reached at

shanesweet @ shanesweet . com .

It was 1994 and Chris Scaturro was 12 years old . His grandfather owned a propane and oil company in the Hudson Valley of New York State . It was summer and Chris began working in the fuel business .

“ I worked on the dock , and refurbishing tanks ,” Chris told me . “ Summer , vacation , holidays .” He was at the plant anytime he got the chance . “ I just loved being there , being around the shop , being around the trucks , being around my grandfather and the staff .”

Seven years later , he graduated high school and , in 2003 , the State University of New York at Delhi , where he studied HVAC / plumbing and heating . Immediately after college , he went back to the company , this time full time , starting as a delivery driver / service tech , and over the next 15 years

IT ’ S A FARCE , THIS NOTION THAT ONE ENERGY SOURCE ” — ELECTRICITY — “ IS THE SOLUTION .

-Chris Scaturro , president and CEO of Upstate Energy .

held positions including Fleet Manager , Propane Dispatcher , Operations Manager and General Manager . Chris has continued working for familyowned fuel businesses since 2020 , including as a propane operations manager , and last October he joined Upstate Energy in Gardiner , N . Y . In June , he bought the business , going “ all in .”

“ Well , that certainly demonstrates commitment ,” I said . “ Diving in headfirst when so many would have the fuel industry as we know it , go away , says something .”

Chris responded , “ I ’ ve had my share of people tell me I ’ m crazy going into the fuel business given the hostile environment of New York State towards anything fossil fuels . Those that would electrify everything don ’ t want to talk about our existing infrastructure or the risk to all of us when electrification goes sideways , and it will , or the fact that we are in a position to provide renewable fuels as a constituent of our traditional fuels today .”

Though Chris acknowledged that there is still work to be done to ensure renewables are there to blend , he ’ s talking about BioHeat and renewable propane .

“ It ’ s a farce , this notion that one energy source ” — electricity — “ is the solution ,” Chris added .

He struggles with public policy initiatives pushed by politicians and government bureaucrats who have designated themselves arbiters of how we should heat our homes and how we should fuel our vehicles . He ’ s frustrated that those people , organizations and government bureaucrats pushing electrification , in his words , “ won ’ t give us the time of day .” They avoid talking about the relatively low barrier of renewable liquid fuels integration versus the astronomical costs of moving us to “ all electric .”

“ We all know the ‘ Electrify Everything ’ crowd either has no idea what that [ electrification ] might cost or will not say the number out loud for fear of scaring away those that will end up paying the bill ,” Chris said .

The Electrify Everything propaganda machine has its “ pedal to the metal ,” Chris said , and he ’ s astonished so many consumers either believe it is the smart way to go , or are not worried about it .

“ Existing fuels and existing infrastructure deliver emissions improvement without forcing one energy source down the throats of the majority of unwilling energy consumers ,” Chris said . “ I don ’ t do business at the barrel of a gun and neither should lawmakers , government and nonprofits .”

Energy choice is a big part of this , Chris said . Integration of renewables into traditional fuels is happening now , and is happening without the huge bill to consumers and society as a whole that comes with electrification . l FON

40 SEPTEMBER 2023 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www . fueloilnews . com