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Will other cities follow? It wasn’t that many years ago that natural gas was being trumpeted as “the bridge fuel” to a cleaner energy future. Natural gas was said to be much cleaner-burning than any other fossil fuels, and replacing coal-fired electric generation with cleaner-burning natural gas was going to significantly reduce carbon emissions as we transitioned to new green ...

Mistakes happen. All of us make them, in both our personal and professional lives. The trick, after making one, is to keep it in perspective, counsels Columnist Charles Bursey, Sr. At work, we are often required to make decisions or accomplish something important. At times we fail to deliver the results expected. In fact, there are times when we simply ...

What you don’t know can cost you, writes Marci Gagnon, vice president of strategic alliances for Qualpay, a provider of processing solutions to fuel delivery and service businesses: With the warm weather upon us, most customers think fuel marketers have closed up shop for the summer. In reality, this is when the energy industry gets down to business. There is ...

I would think by now that all tradesmen have heard the term “biofuel.” In my travels it seems to be becoming part of the everyday discussion about heating oil. For those of you who may be wondering, biofuel is a blend of two products: biodiesel and our standard home heating oil. You will also hear that there are several different ...

Jan. 1 brought new fuel marketer leaders to the Empire State Energy Association in the form of a new chairman and president. Tasked with leading this New York energy trade group for the next two years were Joe Alonzo, president of Wever Petroleum, a multi-fuel marketer based in Mechanicville, and Eli Van Etten, vice president of multi-fuel marketer VEO Energy ...

President Trump called for a national, bipartisan effort to restore declining infrastructure in his State of the Union address, and many who operate trucks for a living applauded the proposal.   Readers of Fuel Oil News who market and deliver fuel oil and propane for a living are probably keen to see highways and bridges restored, along with redesigns of ...

This time of year, as temperatures drop, we may be fielding a number of “No Heat” calls. Let’s look at some of the reasons for these calls. Below-zero temperatures can create oil flow issues, in some cases resulting in heating equipment failure. I have had the opportunity to talk with several oil company owners and technicians as to what preventive ...

Payment products can reduce overhead costs for fuel marketers. Fuel marketers are switching gears to prepare for peak season, and part of that preparation includes closely reviewing contracts, including those for credit card rates. As the industry goes through its yearly rate review exercise, keep in mind that it’s not only about reducing costs, it’s also about adding simplicity, writes ...

In the 1970s, writes columnist Steven Abbate, many believed the world would soon be running out of oil: In the 1980s I remember hearing that all the small family-owned propane and heating oil companies would be gobbled up by a few large companies.  Neither of those projections held true. The world is producing more oil and propane than ever. I ...

News accounts over the years have chronicled many natural gas accidents (take help from injury lawyers from Schechter, Shaffer & Harris LLP), including what happened on Sept. 13 in the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts. Thomas J. Tubman, executive director of the American Energy Coalition, delves into the details. ON SEPT. 13 A SERIES OF NATURAL GAS EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES rocked the ...