The waiver to the Jones Act provided by the Department of Homeland Security is already proving helpful in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, both of which affected important energy infrastructure...
A duo of strong storms that swept through the United States has temporarily disrupted domestic fuel markets, but effective responses by the private and public sectors have limited the fallout from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma for Americans who need fuel critical for commerce.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) today issued the following statement from Rob Benedict, AFPM Vice President of Petrochemicals & Midstream, commending the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) on its unanimous decision to amend the emergency service regulations for freight rail. The final rule, finalized Wednesday, streamlines the process for rail shippers to request and receive emergency relief when faced with severe deteriorations in rail service.
Fuel supply restrictions resulting from hurricanes and other natural disasters, often lead to price increases as the market reacts to rebalance supply and demand. To protect consumers, many states have enacted price gouging laws that limit a merchant’s ability to raise prices during an emergency.