Dear Customer,
A coalition representing 32 Portland, Ore. business and labor leaders is calling upon the City Council to schedule a hearing in Pembina Pipeline Corp’s proposal to construct a propane export terminal at The Port of Portland. In a letter sent to the council June 9 coalition members criticized first term Mayor Charlie Hale for abruptly cancelling a schedule hearing on the 500–million project. Portlanders have embraced propane as a clean fuel for their personal uses; food served up at our iconic downtown food carts is mostly cooked on propane–powered stoves; propane barbeques occupy back yards all over the city; even some school buses run on propane, having been converted to reduce dependence on dirtier–burning diesel. If Portland’s environmental ethics cannot embrace propane as a fuel source, is the City Council’s next step going to be to prohibit those uses?
The Planning and sustainability Commission has recommended Pembina receives a land use change in order to build the export terminal. Pembina is a solid sustainable employer. The project would not only be the largest private investment in the history of the city, but it would also generate solid middle–wage jobs including 800 union construction jobs and then some 40 permanent skilled trades jobs, at a time when Portland is seeing middle–wage jobs decline as a percentage of our overall workforce.
Many individual states now rival the world’s major energy producing countries according to a ranking published by the American Petroleum Institute (API). Thanks to renovations in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling states like Texas and Pennsylvania now outpace many OPEC countries in oil or natural gas production. Among oil producing nations, two U.S. states – Texas and North Dakota would rank among the top 20 nations in the world.
Oil and natural gas development has been a pillar of job creation in numerous states and regions, especially during the recent recessions. The shale revolutions also has saved U.S. consumers an estimated $1,200 per household annually in energy costs.
Americans strongly support using resources in public lands to produce energy and giving states more control over regulating those activities. According to a poll commissioned by the Western Energy Alliance 60% of likely voters support increasing energy productions or multiply–use public lands. Support was strong for Congress overturning the crude oil ban, with majorities across political parties in favor of repeal.
The poll found a combined 77% support giving states complete or shared authority with the federal government in managing and regulating activities in public lands within their borders. Fifty–seven percent of likely voters agreed Congress should overturn the 1975 crude oil export ban to allow trade with allied nations. A balanced majority across all parties agree Congress should move forward in lifting the ban. Voters understand that changing this dated policy and expanding trade will lead to savings at the pump and economic growth for the country.
This coming July will be scheduled water heater deliveries. All customers with hot water heaters will be getting a delivery of gas this month. Budget customers should clear up last year’s balances and start paying in June for the coming years heating season purchases. This is still a good time to improve existing heating systems or add to these systems before the coming winter. Contact our salesman Ryan Buller for any questions you may have your heating needs. Contact Davida Brenden for any budget questions for the coming year.
Cordially, John Buller & Sons