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"Gov. Scott Walker sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging his administration to establish and lead a propane supply chain working group to coordinate the movement of propane from where it is available to where it is needed in the United States.\"As a follow-up to the steps we've already taken, I'm requesting a propane supply chain working group between the federal government, states and the propane industry so we can work together on developing both short- and long-term strategies and the logistics of moving the propane supply through our states,\" Walker said.The propane supply chain working group could include members of Obama\u2019s team, federal agencies, impacted states like Wisconsin, and those working in and with the propane industry.Walker said supply, weather and propane transportation infrastructure have posed challenges that have resulted in extreme supply vulnerabilities not faced before as a major cause of concern.He said the prospect of any one thing going dramatically wrong in the supply chain would create the potential for a very serious supply crisis.\"The people will be better served if we develop a contingency plan we never use than find ourselves in a crisis for which we had no plan,\" said Walker.The supply shortage in the upper Midwest has caused delivery delays and reduced delivery amounts for propane customers in Wisconsin, as well as all Midwestern states.The propane shortage has been caused by things like the cold weather and the temporary closure of a a major pipeline supplying propane to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. The closure lasted until Dec. 18.Walker and his administration said they have taken numerous steps to help alleviate the effects the shortage is having on the 250,000 residents who use propane to heat their home or businesses.Walker issued multiple executive orders since October 2013 allowing propane transport drivers to log additional hours to transport more propane. Typically a propane driver can drive 70 hours per week based upon Wisconsin and federal laws.Several state petroleum terminals have not been able to meet the demands of their customers and are currently on a propane rationing system. The increased demand and limited regional supplies of propane means drivers are working more hours per day to obtain propane, causing drivers to reach maximum weekly driving and on-duty limits more quickly than normal.On Jan. 3 the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Department of Administration authorized a weight limit relief order for vehicles transporting energy in the state in order to increase the amount of propane carried in a single trip.At the request of Wisconsin and other Midwestern states, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a Midwest regional declaration of emergency on Jan. 19 extending state emergency declarations for purposes of exempting hours of service requirements for propane and fuel transporters.Walker wrote a letter to Obama on Wednesday asking for the immediate release of the remaining Federal Fiscal Year 2014 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program allocations.Those funds were released on Thursday.Wisconsin received the remaining $14.2 million of the total $103.1 million FFY 2014 allocation on Friday.The state's Department of Administration preemptively released $7 million of the $14.2 million allocation to Wisconsin counties and tribes who administer the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program.The state's energy officials urge residents to contact their propane vendor when their propane supply reaches 30 percent full to ensure they continue to have heating fuel.In addition, the Keep Wisconsin Warm Fund has agreed to temporarily allow an increase in their income limit for propane households from 60 percent of the state's median income to 80 percent. It will also allow propane households to potentially receive an increased maximum benefit of $600 and has temporarily adjusted their policy to allow propane households the ability to potentially receive two benefit payments in a year.Residents are urged to call 866-HEATWIS for information about where they can purchase propane locally, or to apply for assistance toward paying a propane heating bill."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wisn.com/article/gov-walker-asks-for-propane-supply-chain/6319741>