Michaud Co-Sponsors Reserve Heating Oil Bill
Posted on: Monday, 14 July 2008, 15:00 CDT
WASHINGTON - Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Maine, joined with Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H., on July 10 to introduce legislation that would allow the secretary of energy to release heating oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve if the price of heating oil remains above $4 a gallon.
"As more and more Mainers look to purchase oil for the fall and winter seasons, they are experiencing horrible sticker shock," Michaud said in a statement.
"We need to be doing all that we can to address our current energy crisis and I believe that this bill represents a modest but necessary step forward."
The Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve was created in 2000 as an emergency response to interruptions in heating oil supply. The reserve is designed to serve New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New England states - a region that contains 5.3 million households that use heating oil.
The legislation that Michaud and Hodes introduced would allow heating oil from the reserve to be released if the president found that high prices were causing a threat to public safety and health. The bill also would create mandatory, incremental releases from the reserve if the price of heating oil is over $4 a gallon from November through March.
"As Maine families prepare to deal with rising heating oil costs this winter, it is critical that we are prepared to use this tool to prevent serious health and safety issues," said Michaud, who represents the 2nd District.
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Source: Bangor Daily News
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