There has been a fair amount of press on the shortage of propane in the state as temperatures continue to seek the bottom of the thermometer. Steve Carlson touched on it briefly here on Blogging Blue.
But today, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discussed Governor Walker’s about face on providing financial assistance in securing sufficient propane to heat homes here in Wisconsin and how WEDC will help suppliers with financial support to deal with rising prices. And they deftly breezed over a few of the issues that are causing the shortage of the heating fuel and the record prices per gallon in one succinct paragraph (emphasis mine):
The shortage, attributed to a colder-than-normal winter, the shutdown of a key supply pipeline earlier in the season, strong exports of the fuel and heavy use of propane by farmers to dry grain last fall have sent prices for many customers well above $5 a gallon.
Strong exports of the fuel? We are fighting tooth and nail and putting our natural resources at risk to become energy independent and we are exporting the very thing we need? Well apparently there’s better money in exporting propane than protecting the lives and well being of Americans and particularly Wisconsinites in this case. I don’t know…shouldn’t energy independence actually be an issue of national security? Somebody should be rung up for treason…that sarcasm.
But remember why the Keystone XL has to go to the gulf?? Not for energy independence but to enable exports of the resulting fuels…as I said here and here! Bon Voyage America’s Energy Resources!!!
side note: wind energy and solar energy are taboo because…well…you can’t export them!
The President–bless his soul–did mention “alternate energy” briefly along with our natural gas production tonight. We’ve simply got to stay behind this man if there’s any hope for the future economic and environmental condition of this nation.
#1. Propane imports from Canada down: Now burned at the tarsands and replacing natural gas burned at the tarsands.
#2. Propane pipeline (Cochin) shutdown for rebuilding: So it can be next year to export solvents to Canada to use at the tarsands. Previously use to import Canadian propane. Currently not running at full capacity- see #1 above.
#3 New exports due to new pipelines built, perhaps using the new ACE permitting dodge?
anon, I would be interested in understand the ACE permitting dodge, thanks.
I posted this at another blog Tuesday evening:
How can the deliberate manipulation of commodity which adversely affects so many people not be classified as domestic terrorism? This is our HOMELAND SECURITY? This theft of public resources by privateers setting up a price gouging scheme and betting on the weather to give them the opportunity to strike is NOT a deliberate attack on the common good and welfare of we the people?
Scott Walker there to make sure the thieves get immediate blood ransom in cash instead of demanding investigations and expropriating control of all available supplies and delivery services in his declared, “emergency.” His payback will come from those who now have wads of public cash to make nice campaign donations to be sure.
Take note of the fact that Walker is grudgingly proposing to give financial assistance to propane dealers, but has made no proposal to give extra fuel assistance via WHEAP to those of us who are going broke paying for extra propane to get us through the most brutal January on record.
Thanks for the reminder, I did notice that loans were initially announced to be going to wholesalers and retailers to help them get LP supplies from the bigger distributors.
A little bit of the bigger gas picture, fracking and our so called US energy independence:
http://www.popularresistance.org/calendar1/2014-02-20-stop-fracking-at-cove-point/
Not too cheery.