respond | preferences | login | unsubscribe

PEI has published its 17th peer-reviewed recommended practice document: PEI/RP1600-21, Recommended Practices for the Design, Construction, Installation, Operation and Maintenance of Liquefied Natural Gas/Liquefied Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle Fueling Facilities.

PEI/RP1600 will help interested PEI members, end users and other stakeholders understand how private, retail and commercial LNG fueling facilities work, as well as the design and performance factors to consider before investing in such facilities. Regulators who permit and inspect LNG fueling facilities also will find the document a useful reference.

PEI thanks chairman Scott Zepp of Consolidated Utilities Corp., Boston, Massachusetts, for his efforts in leading the LNG Fueling System Installation Committee, which produced the document. Other committee members were:

• Jim Ames, Ameswest Technical Services, Perry, Utah
• Patrick Fiedler, Fiedler Group, Pasadena, California
• Jimmy Ford, Power Integrity Corporation, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Brett Hovland, Shell Oil Company, The Woodlands, Texas
• Paul Pitney, Husky Corporation, Pacific, Missouri
• Mike Pomerantz, Bennett Pump Company, Norton Shores, Michigan
• Tom Wyper, Fueling and Service Technologies Inc., Buena Park, California

New LNG Fueling System RP

Eichberger on EVs and ICE Bans

PEI Forming Fall Protection Committee

Tell NAW Your Story

PEI Updates, Announcements

Respond to this Newsletter

by e-mail to the editor, Rick Long at rlong@pei.org

John Dzwonczyk, PE, CFPS, of Fiedler Group Inc. (formerly with JGD Associates), Avon Lake, Ohio, was the committee’s consultant.

Learn more and purchase RP1600 here. Single copies are $50 (members) and $195 (nonmembers).

EICHBERGER ON EVS AND ICE BANS
Fuels Institute Executive Director John Eichberger discussed transportation-related environmental initiatives with PEI’s board, staff, and Education & Convention Committee on May 12. The presentation drew from a recent Fuels Institute report on 37 such initiatives.

Here are key takeaways on two initiatives of importance to PEI members:

Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Bans

• Status. This movement is growing rapidly. Markets accounting for 47% of global light-duty vehicle sales have announced or are contemplating new ICE vehicle bans.
• Recent additions. Bans announced for California, British Columbia, Quebec, the United Kingdom and Japan will take effect between 2030 and 2040.

Vehicle Electrification

• Cost/benefit. Battery electric vehicles’ (BEVs) reduced emissions come at a high price. Today’s BEVs cost $8,000 to $12,000 more than comparable ICE vehicles.
• Batteries. Battery cost has fallen 63% in the past five years to an average $137 per kilowatt hour (kWh). Experts believe BEVs will reach price parity with ICE vehicles at $100 per kwh. That milestone could come as early as 2025.
• Future sales. Choice, cost and charging convenience are the top factors that will determine EV market growth.
• Vehicle type. BEV models are beginning to reflect consumer vehicle preferences. In Q1, 2021, 66.9% of BEV sales were crossover utility vehicles; only 28.3% were luxury cars.
• Sales. Cumulative light-duty vehicle sales dropped 15% in 2020. BEV sales fell only 3%.
• Range. Eighteen of this year’s 23 BEV models have a range of at least 200 miles per charge.
• Fleet transition. BloombergNEF projects BEVs could account for nearly 60% of all new light-duty vehicle sales by 2040. Under that scenario, ICE vehicles still would represent 73% of the U.S. fleet. To put it another way, EVs are coming, but liquid-fuel vehicles — and fueling equipment — will be around for a long, long time.

PEI SEEKS FALL PROTECTION COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS
PEI is seeking volunteers for a Fall Protection and Working at Heights Committee, which will develop the association’s first safety-focused recommended practice.

Recommended Safety Practices for Fall Protection and Working at Heights at Fueling Facilities will provide guidance for:

• Fall protection and fall restraint during excavation, trenching, installation, service and maintenance;
• Protection against slips, trips and falls in and around sumps, manholes and pits;
• Ladder safety;
• Regulatory compliance and liability reduction;
• Development and management of fall protection programs;
• Protection of human health and the environment.

Committee members will participate in several virtual and/or in-person meetings over a 12- to 18-month period.

To apply for the committee, email a summary of your relevant experience, qualifications and interest to Scott Boorse at sboorse@pei.org by June 4. PEI President Steve Dixon will make the committee appointments on or about June 15.  

TELL NAW YOUR STORY
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) is lobbying against proposed legislation that would make emergency pandemic-related unemployment benefits permanent.

To support this effort, NAW is looking for real-life stories showing how the expanded benefits are incentivizing some employees and job applicants to collect unemployment rather than work. 

If emergency unemployment benefits have made it difficult for your company to recruit and/or retain workers and you would like to participate in NAW’s effort, please send your story to Rick Long at rlong@pei.org. NAW will not use your name or identify your company without permission.

PEI UPDATES, ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Young Executives “Winter” Conference (June 26-29; Key Largo, Florida) is sold out. Complete this form to add your name to the conference waiting list.
• PEI Women Conference (Aug. 30 - Sept. 1; Memphis, Tennessee) registration opens Monday, May 24. Learn more.
• PEI Convention at the NACS Show (Oct. 5-8; Chicago). Early bird registration rates that save up to $300 per attendee end June 11. Check the schedule, review convention safety measures, book housing and register here.
• PEI EVP Search. The position profile for PEI’s next executive vice president is here. Contact information for Vetted Solutions, the firm assisting in the search, appears on the last page. Rick Long, PEI’s current executive vice president and general counsel, is retiring Dec. 31, 2021.

BRIEFLY NOTED
“Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of four projects totaling $1 million to conduct cutting-edge applied research and development concerning the interaction between promising biofuels and combustion engines. The projects will leverage a range of National Laboratory capabilities as part of the Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative, and aim to help bring these fuel-engine combinations closer to commercial adoption.” — U.S. Dept. of Energy, May 10

“Toyota on Wednesday forecasted that it expects a whopping 70% of its sales mix to come from electrified vehicles by 2030. In its Path to Carbon Neutrality release the automaker added that figure, specifically, includes just 15% of totally battery-electric cars and fuel-cell vehicles. It’s the latest conservative stance on the EV transformation in the US from Toyota as it eyes a more sluggish EV adoption rate here.” — www.cnet.com, May 10

“The Biden administration wants to give consumers rebates for purchasing electric vehicles to help the U.S. compete against China in manufacturing the next generation of automobiles, White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy said. … Critics say the current EV tax credit has chiefly benefited wealthy Americans. By contrast, a point-of-sale rebate — which is also championed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer — could help encourage more low- and middle-income motorists to buy electric vehicles.” — Bloomberg Law, May 18

“Fuel retailers in Brazil have asked the government to reduce the amount of ethanol required to be blended into petrol. ... Fecombustiveis, an association representing around 40,000 petrol stations in Brazil, asked for the ethanol blend to be reduced from 27% currently to 18%, saying the smaller sugar cane crop this year due to drier-than-normal weather reduced ethanol production. Nearly 90% of ethanol produced in Brazil is made from sugar cane, with around 10% being corn-based.” — Biofuels International, May 17

“A group of Harvard researchers announced last week that they have designed a stable lithium-metal solid-state battery that can be charged and discharged at least 10,000 times ‘at a high current density.’ Lithium-metal solid-state battery cells are widely seen as an important piece of the future for electric cars within the next decade — not just because they can pack more energy into a smaller space, with less weight, but because they eliminate most of the risks of explosion or fire. Despite those advantages, a potentially shorter lifetime and performance that can degrade over time are among the things that keep the tech from being widely used in EVs today.” — Green Car Reports, May 17

DEATHS
Sheldon Schall, 73, died May 3. Schall was, for many years, Wisconsin Petroleum Regulation Section Chief. A great friend to PEI, Schall served on the PEI Electrical Continuity Testing Committee, which is responsible for PEI/RP400: Recommended Procedure for Testing Electrical Continuity for Fuel Dispensing Hanging Hardware. 

PEI MEMBER NEWS
J.F. Petroleum Group named Bret Carlyle a business development director for the company’s Midwest region. Carlyle is a former PEI director.

Seneca Companies made the following personnel and organizational announcement:

• Headquarters: Jodi Solomon was promoted to vice president of marketing. Mandy Lozier joined the company as safety coordinator. Mike Freese was named director of inside sales and DSS.
• Denver: Steve Cox was named branch manager. Bill Yarkosky is a new electrician and project manager.
• Omaha: Seneca opened an office in Omaha, Nebraska. Todd Club is the branch manager. Scottie Stigall is fuel systems service manager.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
Florida construction company. Creighton Construction & Management, 2240 W. First St. #101, Florida 33901, applied for service and construction division membership. David K. Peters is regional fuel manager for the firm, which was established in 2007. Creighton Construction & Management is a design-build firm specializing in fuel site/c-store construction. Sponsored for PEI membership by Mike Vegeais, Freedom Electronics LLC, Kennesaw, Georgia. www.creightondev.com

Louisiana consulting firm. InServe Mechanical Integrity Group, 102 Lynn Lane, Sulphur, Louisiana 70663, applied for affiliate division membership. Randy Camardelle is president of the company, which was established in 2018. InServe Mechanical Integrity Group provides engineering consultation services, and inspection of aboveground and underground storage tanks, process piping and pressure vessels. Sponsored for PEI membership by Shaun Thomas, Genesis Environmental Solutions Inc., Blue Springs, Missouri. www.inservemechanical.com

Mexican software company. Tecsien, Decimo Octava 126, Residencial Anahuac, San Nicolas de los Garza, 66457, Mexico, applied for affiliate division membership. Juan Manuel Sandoval Acevedo is general manager of the firm, which was established in 2001. Tecsien is an authorized software dealer and service provider in Mexico. Sponsored for PEI membership by Pablo C. Gualdi, ATIO Group, Mexico City, Mexico. www.tecsien.com

Filipino construction company. Mitchie Petroleum Equipment and Parts Trading, Purok 7 Barangay Palasinan, Cabiao, 3107, Philippines, applied for service and construction division membership. Ana Mitchie Talens is CEO for the firm, which was established in 2015. Mitchie Petroleum Equipment and Parts Trading builds gas stations and distributes fuel dispensers and underground tanks. Sponsored for PEI membership by Zhu Hui, Wenzhou Bluesky Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. 

Mexican distributor. Maror Comercializadora Industrial, S. de R. L. de C. V., Santa Susana 199 El Rosario, Saltillo, 25297, Mexico, applied for distributor division membership. Gricelda Ortega González is coordinator for the company, which was established in 2019. Maror Comercializadora Industrial is a petroleum equipment distributor and reseller of gas station accessories. Sponsored for PEI membership by David Fiala, FMG-LLC/SFICO, Maitland, Florida. www.maror.com.mx

APPLICATION FOR READMISSION
Canadian contractor. Phoenix Petroleum Ltd., P.O. Box 3057, Station B, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3A 5G8, Canada, applied for readmission to the service and construction membership division. Jeffrey McNeil is CEO for the company, which was established in 2002.  Phoenix Petroleum Ltd. is a design-build contractor for major oil companies, branded dealers and independent owners. Sponsored for readmission to PEI by Chris Vassos, Waleco Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. www.phoenixpetro.ca

ADMITTED TO PEI

• Friedhelm Otto, United Parcel Service, Omaha, Nebraska (operations & engineering)
• Russell Ariza, SC Fuels, Orange, California (operations & engineering)
• Morgan Dewar Voss, JB Dewar Inc., San Luis Obispo, California (operations & engineering)  

Manage Your Subscription

This newsletter is intended for *|FNAME|* *|LNAME|*. PEI® and the PEI mark are registered trademarks of the Petroleum Equipment Institute.

If you no longer wish to receive the TulsaLetter or industry updates you can unsubscribe or update your email preferences.

Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved.
Petroleum Equipment Institute
P. O. Box 2380
Tulsa, OK 74101-2380

The TulsaLetter is published two or three times each month by the Petroleum Equipment Institute. Richard C. Long, Editor. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the Editor.