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Feature Articles

In-depth feature stories examining the trends, challenges and innovations shaping the propane and LPG industry.

  • Propane Prices Likely to Fade; Oil Under $50/bbl

    (June 26, 2017) Ineos recently purchased £800 million of oil and gas assets in the North Sea, as well as buying Danish company Dong Energy’s oil and gas business with access to a further potential 570 MMbbl of gas and oil reserves across 10 fields in Denmark, Norway, and the U.K. It makes Ineos the largest private producer in the North Sea and moves the company into off-shore oil and gas after buying fields from Fairfield Energy and the German Group DEA. Jim Ratcliffe, owner of Ineos, previously boosted control over the North Sea by buying BP’s Forties pipeline system, which links 84 North Sea oil and gas assets to the U.K. mainland, including Ineos’ chemical facility in Grangemouth. With Brent crude oil, the international…
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  • ROUSH CleanTech CARB-Certified Propane Engine Now Lowest NOx in Bus Market

    Livonia, Mich. (June 26, 2017) — ROUSH CleanTech has developed the first propane autogas engine available in Class 4-7 vehicles and Blue Bird Corp. Type C buses certified to the optional low-nitrogen oxide (NOx) level of .05 grams per brake horsepower per hour (g/bhp-hr). The new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- and California Air Resources Board (CARB)-certified propane-fueled engine is 75% cleaner than the current emissions standard. “ROUSH CleanTech’s low-NOx engine is a great step forward for the propane industry,” said Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). “Propane autogas is well established as an economic, clean-burning, and domestically produced alternative fuel ideal for fleets. Now propane gets the biggest return on NOx reductions, too.” Nitrogen oxides are a group…
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  • NPGA Chairman Named At Annual Meeting

    (June 22, 2017) As reported in today’s issue of NPGA Reports, Jerry Brick, Propane Operations Manager of North Star Energy LLC , Aberdeen, South Dakota, assumed the role of Chairman of the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) during the annual meeting of the NPGA Board of Directors on Monday, June 19, 2017. Brick brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role of chairman, with more than 40 years of service in the industry. Jerry has served in numerous capacities on the NPGA Board of Directors including the South Dakota State Director, Executive Committee, and all officer positions. During his time as Chairman, he plans to focus on continuing unity and integration between NPGA, PERC, and the state associations and promoting propane as a…
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  • Glenn Miller, Long-time Industry Leader and PERC Champion, Dies

    (June 22, 2017) — Propane industry giant, Preston “Glenn” Miller, Sr, passed away Monday, June 19, 2017, at Vanderbilt Medical Center. Miller of of Bowling Green, Ky. was 74. Glenn was the owner of Miller’s Bottled Gas, which has been in business since 1945. For decades, Glenn was very active as a leader in the propane industry. He served as the Kentucky Propane Gas Association (KPGA) President twice, and on the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Board of Directors continuously since 1978. Along with colleagues Milford Therrell (the father of PERC), and Butane-Propane News (BPN) owner and publisher, Bill Clark, the three industry icons were instrumental in the passage through the US Congress of legislation permitting the formation of the Propane Education and Research Council…
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  • Renewable Propane Shared Spotlight at 2017 “ACT” Expo

    The propane industry gathered further traction at the Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo last spring. Propane stalwarts provided updates from a school district that uses propane school buses, as well as the latest products and information on autogas advances at several expo hall exhibits. One highlight was the presentation by Joy Alafia, the president and CEO of the Western Propane Gas Association (WPGA), who underscored the association’s commitment to helping the industry step up production of renewable propane. The Long Beach, Calif. event in early May 2017, featured product educational sessions, exhibits, and announcements from companies promoting advances in such areas as hybrid-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and renewable diesel. Propane garnered attendees’ attention with highlights that included a press conference by fuel systems provider Agility…
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  • Gallon Growers: Generators — More Necessary Now Than Ever

    Cyber terrorism. Increased severe weather-related events. An aging power grid system. Now, more than at any point in history, the homeowner and business owner face increased threats to utility security from a myriad of sources. For example, according to back-up generator manufacturer Generac, not only are storms occurring more frequently, they have become much more severe. While senior product manager Ray Stanek stays away from the potentially explosive debate of whether the cause is climate change, he says Generac is dedicated to its mission to make sure effective products are available. But when it comes to cyber terrorism, it’s a growing area of focus. “We saw cyber terrorism in New Jersey that had a slight impact on the power grid,” Stanek says. “I’m not a…
    Read More →: Gallon Growers: Generators — More Necessary Now Than Ever

  • Brothers’ Action Plan Brings New Life to Family Business

    Brothers Chris, Mitch, and Mike Caywood grew up surrounded by the energy business in Hudson, Mich., a community about 90 miles west of Detroit and 10 miles north of the Ohio border. Locals have dubbed Hudson as “a small town with a big heart.” The brothers’ parents, Jim and Dolores Caywood, owned and operated retail gasoline stations, bulk fueloil distributorships, wholesale petroleum distribution businesses, and a propane business. These enterprises were built vertically and merged in the 1940s by their grandparents, Richard and Dorothy Varner. They, in turn, used a gasoline and fueloil operation launched by Richard’s brother on the site of an old blacksmith shop in the 1930s as a springboard for their operations. Ultimately, the merged businesses became Caywood Propane Gas Inc. Generally,…
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  • Southeastern Expo Highlights: Recruitment, Regulations, Willis Retirement

    Attracting new employees to the propane industry was among the leading issues for discussion in April at the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo April 21-23, 2017, in Nashville. The industry’s Workforce Development Task Force met to discuss new methods, such as an increased social media presence focusing on recruitment. An NPGA regulatory update focusing on issues such as cylinder requalification and an entry-level driver training rule, in addition to a retirement ceremony for Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) president and CEO Roy Willis were among the other highlights of the convention, the largest U.S. propane industry event. A presentation by PERC preceding the opening of the exhibits featured council chairman Tom Van Buren honoring Willis’ service to the…
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  • Propane Days 2017 — Taxes, Supply, Cranes Among Top Issues

    (June 19, 2017) — Tax reform, winter propane supply, and a crane rule deadline extension are three issues the propane industry plans to bring up with lawmakers at Propane Days, June 19 to 21, according to an “Issue Sneak Preview” that the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) released at its Southeastern Convention in Nashville this past April. “But the one that I think is the sharpest issue and the one that we’re going to have the most focused request on is the crane rule, and that’s a rule that was published by OSHA [the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration] back in 2010, to require third-party certification of crane operators,” said Phil Squair, NPGA’s senior vice president of public and governmental affairs. “That’s going to…
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  • Kansas Association’s Milestone Anniversary

    Seventy-five years ago a group of Kansas LP-Gas dealers and associates formed an association to act as a “voice” for the industry in Kansas. It was 1942 and the LP-gas business at the time was considered depression-proof, reaching new highs in sales and opening new markets while many industries were making a slow recovery. The rapid growth caused many industry members to believe regulatory growth was needed as well. The initial association members came together because they wanted a “champion” in the writing of any regulations pertaining to their industry. Although growth of the association was slowed by the war years of 1942 to 1945, members would still meet on weekends at various locations, have dinner, and discuss the needs of their new industry. By…
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  • Weather Risk-Management Piques Interest as Winters Melt Down

    (June 12, 2017) — Multiple whirling masses of frigid air — polar vortexes — brought bone-chilling cold to large swaths of the nation the winter of 2013-2014, driving heating degree days, or HDDs, to unaccustomed heights. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data, the U.S. experienced 1045 gas home customer-weighted HDDs in January 2014, 55 more than the long-term average. There were 1258 HDDs in New England, 1283 in the Mid-Atlantic, and 1489 in the east-north-central region. Of the nine regions monitored by NOAA, only the Mountain and Pacific areas recorded fewer HDDs in January than they did a year earlier or as measured by the long-term average. But over the past two heating seasons, polar vortexes, even sustained cold temperatures, faded from recollection. After laboring under…
    Read More →: Weather Risk-Management Piques Interest as Winters Melt Down

  • In Farewell Speeches, Willis Underscored PERC Successes

    Roy Willis did not talk much about himself during his retirement farewell speeches in April 2017 at the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Southeastern Convention and the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) meeting. Instead, the outgoing PERC president and CEO directed most of his comments at the history of the council and how it has progressed since it was founded in 1996. But he did speak briefly about his personal journey, starting from his early career and continuing to PERC’s early days after he joined the council in 1998. He recalled the beginning of his career just after he was discharged from the U.S. Navy, when he took up undergraduate studies in communications. “My dad asked me, ‘Can you make a living doing that?’…
    Read More →: In Farewell Speeches, Willis Underscored PERC Successes

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