And That’s Where the Rubber Meets the Road
“It looks like a glass of water — that’s how clean today’s heating oil is.” – Clay Bassett
For more than 100 years, our members have been doing a better job keeping Connecticut homeowners safe and warm through the cold winter months — all while transitioning to a cleaner, greener fuel made with ultra-low sulfur and biodiesel blends.
“If you take a glass full of today’s heating oil that has biodiesel in it, and it’s down to 15 parts per million sulfur, it looks like a glass of water. Period!” said Clay Bassett, an industry expert with 60 years of experience, during the latest episode of the Mission Possible podcast.
“It does have a little dye in it — something the government requires so they can differentiate it from diesel fuel and heating oil — but without the dye, it’s water clear. That’s been an incredible evolution of the product,” Bassett added. “We know that because the technicians tell us during annual tune-ups when they open the oil filter and take it out, it’s like the day they put it in. So, that’s where the rubber meets the road.”
Bassett, who now works with Gault Family Companies based in Fairfield County, joined Chris Herb, president and CEO of the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association (CEMA), for the first episode of Season Two of Mission Possible: Delivering Greener Fuel Today.
During the month of November, we’re giving thanks to the many people in our industry who have helped us grow, transform, and evolve. This Thanksgiving, we’re proud to celebrate CEMA’s 75th anniversary and the incredible progress we’ve made — from the early days of heating oil delivery to today’s cleaner, greener Bioheat® fuel.
“We are an essential piece of Connecticut’s economy, and I think that sometimes gets lost,” said Herb. “We focus on emission reduction goals within the Global Warming Solutions Act — and those are important — but at the end of the day, the most important thing we do is keep people warm. We do it well, and we’ve been doing it for 100 years.”
Bassett agreed, highlighting the reliability and resilience of local, family-owned heating oil businesses:
“We feel we do that a lot better than utilities do — and we’re very proud of that. When natural disasters hit, and electric lines go down or gas lines are shut off because of safety concerns, our trucks are still rolling. Every customer has their own fuel supply right on their property. They’re not depending on wires or natural gas pipelines. And when do people need heat the most? It’s when disaster hits.”
Herb also emphasized the industry’s independence and investment in Connecticut communities:
“Our infrastructure has been completely privately funded. I’ve never spoken to a member, whether 75 years ago or five days ago, who received state support to build storage tanks, buy trucks, or operate their headquarters. Other energy sources rely on taxpayer funding to expand, but we’ve built our industry on pride and a strong foundation. That’s why, no matter what the energy trend of the decade is, we continue to heat more than 50% of the homes in Connecticut.”
Be sure to watch the entire episode on our YouTube channel and subscribe to our podcast. We’re still taping season two of the podcast, so, if you’re interested in being featured in an episode, please email shellysindland@ctema.com
#MissionPossiblePodcast #MissionPossibleCEMA #CEMA75Years #BioheatFuel #ConnecticutEnergy #RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergyCT #HomeHeating #SustainableFuel #LiquidFuels #EnergyInnovation #UltraLowSulfur #GreenerFuels
SHOW
00:00 – Welcome to Mission Possible Season 2
01:15 – Celebrating 75 Years of CEMA Leadership
03:40 – The Evolution of Heating Oil in Connecticut
07:25 – Clay Bassett on the Transformation to Bioheat®
10:50 – Why Today’s Heating Oil Is “Clear as Water”
14:30 – The Role of Technicians & Real-World Results
18:10 – The Future of Greener Fuels in Connecticut
21:00 – Closing Thoughts from Chris Herb