PERC Approves $36.1-Million Spending Plan for 2015

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), meeting in Sarasota, Fla. Nov. 6-7, approved a $36.1-million budget for 2015 that will fund safety and training programs and the research and development of new appliances, equipment, and vehicles. The spending plan includes $20.9 million for program activities, allocating 60% to research and development, 15% to safety efforts, and 25% to training. The council’s fourth major program area, consumer education, has been restricted since August 2009.

The current assessment rate of four-tenths of a cent per gallon of odorized propane sold is expected to generate revenues of $33.2 million. The spending blueprint calls for $2.5 million in administrative expenses and state rebates totaling nearly $6.65 million. “The 2015 budget is designed to protect and strengthen our position in a way that does credit to the leadership and foresight of the American propane companies that created PERC and fund it through the assessment,” said PERC president and CEO Roy Willis.

In other business, the council in Sarasota approved $5,790,750 for outreach programs designed to support the commercialization and widespread adoption of new propane-fueled equipment in residential, commercial, on-road, off-road, and agriculture markets. In addition, PERC heard a presentation by council member Gregg Dighero, director of NGL marketing at EnCana (Calgary), on the benefits of modifying the existing HD-5 specification for propane.

PERC reports that since July it has approved 72 state rebate requests valued at more than $1,738,222, with 15 programs including requests for a total of $244,005 from PERC’s Partnership with States program. The council will next meet by conference call on Feb. 19.