Attracting members of Congress to the Congressional Propane Caucus, extending motor fuel tax credits, achieving parity with natural gas in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, and calculating the excise tax for propane on an energy content basis will be four primary areas of focus for the propane industry at Propane Days this month in Washington, D.C. On May 21, Congressmen Robert E. Latta (R-Ohio) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.) announced the founding of the Congressional Propane Caucus. Latta and Walz have agreed to chair the caucus, and asking members of Congress to join will be a primary goal in the propane industry’s meetings with legislators. The caucus will be made up of legislators who have shown interest in propane issues in the past, and with...

Teams of propane marketers learned in a workshop that a successful online strategy involves Web design and multiple platforms including search engines and social media. At the April 2015 NPGA Southeastern Convention and International Propane Expo, a topical and well-attended educational session dealt with formulating an Internet marketing plan. The workshop was titled, “Hacked! How to Build a Winning Web Strategy Without Getting Hacked.” Energy industry Web consultant Ben Gutkin of Warm Thoughts Communications (Clifton, N.J.) conducted the three-hour workshop patterned after the hit Food Network show “Chopped.” Selected participants divided into competing teams in three areas: website design and development, search engine marketing, and social media. The scenario for the workshop was that the various teams represented a 10-MMgal. propane company in the Atlanta...

The World LPG Association’s (WLPGA) Industry Council on May 19 approved a Women in LPG Global Network (WINLPG), with goals to support and retain women already in the industry, to promote the use of lobbying and advocacy through media and at industry events, and to educate and attract women to the propane profession. Alison Abbott, WLPGA marketing and communications director, said the association has been working on the concept of a global LPG network for women since the National Propane Gas Association held its initial Women in Propane Council event in Atlanta in 2012. “We were very impressed and thought, is this something that can be rolled out globally?” Abbott explained. WLPGA tested the waters this past October, holding a women in propane event during...

Todd Mouw of ROUSH CleanTech also spoke to recent Work Truck Show attendees about the company’s medium-duty offerings, highlighting the E-450 product. He listed airports, food and beverage companies, logistics companies, paratransit companies, and schools as being among the various industries using the product. Airports, food and beverage companies, governments, transit companies, schools, and energy companies are users of its F-450, F-550, and F-650 propane applications. He said ROUSH CleanTech now has more than 7800 propane autogas vehicles on the road. Brian Peltier, senior fleet buyer for Schwan’s Home Service (Marshall, Minn.), spoke on idle management technology. Of his company’s approximately 4500 home delivery trucks, 70% run on propane. The business conducted a pilot test of remote vehicle analytics telematics to review engine idle times...