Dear PEI Member:
In the November 15, 2011, TulsaLetter, PEI announced a two-day
CNG
Fueling Station Design and Construction Course to be held in Las Vegas on
February 23-24, 2012, coinciding with the conclusion of the 2012 WPMA
Convention and Convenience Store Expo. The newsletter announcement noted
that space for the course was limited and advance registration required.
That course is now sold out and a waiting list has been established.When
we planned the CNG course we committed to hold the session even if as few as
four people registered―although we hoped for
twenty. In less than a month we
had 60 registrants, which is the maximum number our instructor Leo Thomason
says he can effectively teach considering the amount of interactive
participation the course generates. Thomason is co-founder of the Natural
Gas Vehicle Institute (NGVi) and an expert recognized worldwide for his
knowledge of natural gas fueling and vehicle technology.
Given members' interest in CNG fueling systems, PEI is looking at
additional ways to offer information on this subject. If you
would like to be included on the waiting list for the February 23-24 course
and/or notified of future CNG-related opportunities and resources, please
contact Sondra Sutton at ssutton@pei.org
or 918-236-3967.
JANUARY DATES TO REMEMBER
- January 3―Hotel and advance
registration deadline for those
attending the
Young Executives Conference,
February 2-4, in Cancun, Mexico. Register for the seminar by January 3rd and save $100!
- January 5, 2:00 pm, EST―Webinar (free) on
test results of fueling infrastructure equipment/materials with various
ethanol blends. Hosted by Oakridge National Laboratory and National
Renewable Energy Laboratory. Includes plastics (new), metals and
elastomers. No need to register in advance. Questions, contact Kristi
Moriarty at kristi.moriarty@nrel.gov.
- January 6―Last day for changes to the 2012 PEI
Directory. Contact Carletta Denison with questions:
cdenison@pei.org.
- January 17―Deadline for public comments to
revise PEI/RP400 (Recommended Procedure for Testing Electrical
Continuity of Fuel-Dispensing Hanging Hardware) and
PEI/RP600 (Recommended
Practices for Overfill Prevention for Shop-fabricated Aboveground Tanks).
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PEI CNG Station Design and Construction Course
January Dates to Note
Propane and CNG Refueling Articles
More PEI and Industry News »
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PROPANE VEHICLES
"Converting truck and van fleets to run on propane can save big bucks.
Liquid propane, or autogas, tends to run $1 to $2 per gallon less than
gasoline and enables comparable towing and hauling capabilities. State and
federal tax credits can further sweeten the deal but aren't necessary to
make the investment pay off. Other alternative fuels, such as natural gas,
entail much pricier fueling infrastructure. Another selling point:
Clean-burning propane helps project a greener image. Interest in autogas is
starting to perk up. Ford and GM both offer programs to convert stock pickups
or work vans to propane, and early demand looks promising."―The
Kiplinger Letter, December 9, 2011.
NATURAL GAS VEHICLES
"Move over, electric car, and make way for the natural gas powered
vehicle, the new darling of green automobiles. Natural gas vehicles are
inching up in popularity, the Kansas City Star reports.
"With supplies of natural gas rising, vehicles
powered by the fuel are enjoying a resurgence of interest. One of the
biggest challenges to widespread use of such cars is the lack of fueling
stations, but companies and states are boosting the number of natural gas
stations.
"Four states have asked automobile makers to
increase the number of natural gas vehicles produced, while a Georgia public
utility company recently announced plans to build a network of natural gas
stations in the state. Even Congress is looking into providing financial
assistance in the building of such a network.
"Fueling the push for more vehicles and fueling
stations is the huge amount of natural gas being extracted from U.S. shale
formations. Currently, natural gas is the main heating source for homes and
businesses in the Midwest, but with supplies skyrocketing, more people are
considering other uses for the fuel.
"Many states have natural gas powered fleets but
there's not as many vehicles running on natural gas available to the public.
Supporters of natural gas vehicles say the low cost of fuel is a strong
selling point, but that it probably won't catch on until there's more places
to fill up."―NACS Daily News, December 8, 2011.
REGULATORY BRIEFS
Alabama. The state now requires certification of individuals who
exercise supervisory control over the installation, removal and repair
of underground storage tanks (USTs). The rule is effective January 16, 2012,
and contractors have six months from that date to obtain certification. The
Alabama Petroleum Equipment Contractors Association (ALPEC) provides a
certification program that meets the requirements of the Alabama Department
of Environmental Management. Go to
www.ALPEC.info for more information and class dates. PEI members serving
on the ALPEC board of directors include Doug Maze, M & W Equipment Co. Inc.
(president); Dale Simmons, Estes Equipment Company, Inc. (vice president);
John Beck, MECO, Inc. (director); and Allen Turner, Turner's Pump Shop
(director). Mindy Newell is ALPEC executive director.
BRIEFLY NOTED
The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) is set to expire at
year's end. The subsidy is worth 45 cents per gallon of ethanol or 4.5 cents
on a gallon of E10 fuel pumped at the local gasoline station.
Hockman-Lewis Limited, West Orange, New Jersey, has hired J. Matthew
Davis as its vice president of sales and marketing, effective January 1,
2012. His initial responsibilities will be to oversee and grow the sales of
the company's automotive service and industrial equipment, and serve as
regional sales manager for the Middle East. Davis formerly worked for Rotary
Lift Company, a division of Dover Corporation.
Empire Co. Ltd., parent company of Canadian chain Sobeys, said it
would buy about 250 retail gasoline outlets from Shell Canada. Sobeys
currently has 43 outlets in Atlantic Canada under various banners, and some
dealers in Quebec that also sell gasoline. The Shell Canada stations are
located in Atlantic Canada and Quebec.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) receives
roughly 200 new leak reports every year, or about one every workday
according to Bruce Palin, IDEM's assistant commissioner for the office of
land quality. IDEM reports it has 2,100-plus
contamination cases that are still active, with an average fix and cleanup
cost of $200,000 per case.―courierpress.com, December 10, 2011.
An investigation into a gasoline explosion at a Santa Rosa,
California, refueling station on November 23 found that a large container
carried in the back of a van was being filled with fuel from the gas pump.
"The lack of grounding of the container could have sparked the blast," said
John Lantz, Central Fire assistant chief. The explosion was powerful enough
to blow the locking mechanism from the back of the van 55 feet across the
parking lot.
Slidell Oil Co., Slidell, Louisiana, has acquired Interstate Oil Co.
Inc., a 45-million-gallon fuel distributor, transporter and retailer, with 24
convenience stores in and around the Montgomery, Alabama, metropolitan
area.―CSPnet.com, December 15, 2011.
New testing shows that isobutanol fuel blends do not cause irregular
or unstable engine or performance issues in small engines such as those used
in outdoor power equipment, according to the Outdoor Power Equipment
Institute (OPEI). The results, OPEI said, suggest isobutanol could help meet
the renewable fuel mandate with minimal to no impact on existing equipment
and off-road vehicles.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
Zambia service provider. Western Pumps & Construction Ltd., P. O. Box
37851, Lusaka, Zambia 10101, has applied for service and construction
division membership. Daniel Karubiu is managing director for the firm, which
was established in 2004. The company builds gasoline stations and offers
ultrasonic tank testing. Sponsored for PEI membership by John Thompson, LqdCntrols, Lake Bluff, IL.
ADMITTED TO PEI
- Reverso Pumps, Fort Lauderdale, FL (mfr)
- Fuelmatics, Stockholm, Sweden (mfr)
- Al-Yonani Establishment General Trading, Dubai, UAE (aff)
- NZN Builders Inc, Palatine, IL (S&C)
- Lake Country Petroleum Inc., Bemidji, MN (S&C)
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