Below is our opinion editorial which ran in CT Mirror
On February 17, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will hold the first public hearing regarding its new Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES) 2022.
For the first time in a decade of various versions of CES, local and family owned fuel companies are part of the plan.
While the overall theme of the new CES will most likely look at putting more electric heat pumps in homes and businesses, and more electric vehicles on the roadways by building more EV charging stations, it also calls for a greenhouse gas accounting project for biodiesel which is a big win for the environment and homeowners.
Not only did we want this, we asked for it.
Bioheat® Fuel takes things like bacon and french-fry grease and turns it into fuel to heat your home. It’s a blend of biodiesel and ultra-low sulfur heating oil, and is measurably safer, and better for the environment, because it comes from resources like soybeans or used restaurant grease.
And here’s the really exciting part about this new renewable fuel, it’s made right here in New Haven. That means the fuel inside your oil storage tank right now is some of the cleanest, greenest heating fuel in the whole country! As of July 1, a new state law will require all oil heat customers in Connecticut,that’s half of the homes in the state, to lower its carbon footprint. They will do this with Bioheat® Fuel.
We are so confident that our fuel is the cleanest available fuel that homeowners can use without having to spend their hard earned money on electric heat pumps. We asked for this new, greenhouse gas accounting of biodiesel so we can demonstrate how it will give DEEP a bigger bang for its buck in terms of complying with The Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires a 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. All the data suggests that we are the best fuel available from an emissions standpoint making it a less expensive option than wind and solar generated electricity.
The way things stand now electricity is not a clean energy. The ISO-New England grid mix recently showed that natural gas is anywhere from 40 to 50 percent of the electric grid, oil 20%, and coal 16%. From a climate perspective, electricity in Connecticut is not a zero emissions fuel but DEEP wants people to close their eyes and believe that electric vehicles and heat pumps are zero emissions —when the truth is, we are not even close to that. We are not even close!
This is why we are the hero in this story because we have the low carbon liquid fuel option available today at no added cost. We can cut carbon emissions today and it doesn’t require restructuring the electric grid or building windmills in the sound. We can start lowering emissions today, in fact, we already are.
Not only that, we are currently working on creating a new, renewable fuel that will lower emissions by 80percent or more in the future. Green liquid heating fuel is paving the way of the future and it’s made right here in Connecticut, creating jobs, and helping the economic growth of our state.
We look forward to talking more with DEEP and state lawmakers about the benefits of Bioheat® Fuel over the next few months.
Chris Herb is President and CEO of Connecticut Energy Marketers Association (CEMA)