(December 10, 2019) — As recently reported by Bloomberg, oil companies face a growing number of climate nuisance claims from local governments, and those proceedings could continue unendingly in state courts unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in. Specifically, the nation’s high court is scheduled to decide soon whether to approve state-court proceedings for several cases regarding lower-court and local government officials seeking to hold energy companies accountable for their purported role in contributing to climate change. Industry counsel have filed three emergency requests urging Supreme Court justices to block cases filed in Rhode Island, Baltimore, and Colorado municipalities, part of a pack of state and local governments using public nuisance law against the deep pockets of large energy companies. Noted is that the Supreme…

By Robert Battye… The benefits of using tank monitors with forecasting, ticketing, routing, and truck computers to drive distribution efficiency and improve customer engagement are well understood. However, achieving reduced costs and customer terminations requires management awareness of inefficiencies, staff engagement in a change program, courage to operationalize savings by retiring bobtails, and, the focus of this article, intimate integration across systems and applications. Typically, only the last reported level is imported into the back-office tank record to prompt manual ticket generation by operations staff. In many cases, monitor maintenance issues are not displayed on dispatch screens to at least make dispatchers aware that the monitor is no longer operational. The means of integration, the data structure and mechanisms for matching accounts and tanks between…

Lincoln, Nebraska (December 6, 2019) — Viking Cylinders , a Hexagon Ragasco brand, today announced it is joining the Arbor Day Foundation for the launch of its Time for Trees initiative , a commitment to plant 100 million trees in forests and communities worldwide by 2022, alongside its partners. The initiative will leverage trees as a simple, powerful way to reverse the damage done by climate change and address the urgency of preserving the necessities of life – like clean air and water, healthy food and a livable climate – which are becoming increasingly compromised. “The Time for Trees initiative is an important step in protecting the necessities of life, but we can’t do it alone. We’re thrilled that partners like Viking Cylinders are committed…

(December 6, 2019) — With nearly 50 city governments across California threatening to adopt regulations that would curtail or prohibit the use of propane and natural gas, the Western Propane Gas Association (WPGA) is fighting back with a new public outreach effort, reports the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA). A new website, ProtectMyPropane.com , educates consumers on the importance of energy choices and propane’s benefits. The website also encourages consumers to sign a petition demanding elected officials and policymakers protect energy choice in future regulation. The most recent challenge came in November when the Santa Rosa City Council voted to move ahead with a proposal to require the use of electric appliances in most residential construction. The panel voted unanimously to require the exclusive use…

LOS ANGELES (Dec 3, 2019) — One of the world’s largest air service providers is now operating emissions-reducing propane autogas vehicles at Los Angeles International Airport. dnata, a global air services provider with inflight catering operations at the airport, purchased eight Ford F-750 delivery trucks fueled by propane, a domestically produced, clean and economical alternative fuel. “Our top priority is to operate a clean and safe fleet. With these propane vehicles, we reduce emissions without sacrificing safety or performance,” said Peter DeVito, CEO of dnata catering USA. dnata’s propane trucks are 90 percent cleaner than the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emissions standard. They are built with ROUSH CleanTech ’s 6.8L V10 3V propane engine, which is certified to the optional near-zero nitrogen oxide (NOx) level…

(December 2, 2019) — ThompsonGas (Frederick, Md.) has recently acquired APP Propane Inc., a propane provider in Tacoma, Wash. While details regarding the transaction were not released, ThompsonGas noted it was committed to serving the residential, commercial, and industrial customers who have valued APP Propane’s presence in the area for many years. “We are very excited to add APP Propane to our existing operations in the Northwest,” said Jeff Kerns, ThompsonGas CEO. “This is a significant addition to our customer base and we bring strong, tenured propane professionals with this acquisition into the ThompsonGas family.” “The acquisition of APP Propane is a game-changer for us in the Northwest,” added Jim Davis, ThompsonGas COO. “We will be adding this business to our rapidly growing propane Northwest…