Pence waives restrictions to alleviate propane shortages

Gov. Mike Pence declared a state of emergency today as a result of propane shortages in the past month.

“Current demand for propane exceeds locally available supply,” a press release from the governor said.

About 500,000 Hoosiers use propane to heat their homes, according to the release.  

The National Propane Gas Association reported the problem of propane deficits began in October. A large harvest in the upper Midwest required huge amounts of propane to be dried prior to storage.

Transportation started to become a problem when suppliers had to go further to meet propane demands, according to the NPGA.

In order to alleviate the strains of not having enough propane to heat residences, Gov. Pence issued a proclamation on Jan. 3 waiving the limit on the number of hours truck drivers were allowed to work. Transportation of propane has been sluggish partly because of the limit on truck drivers’ hours.

Set to expire on Jan. 17, the proclamation was extended through Jan. 31. Today, the governor extended his proclamation through March 1.

This proclamation, which was originally set to expire on Jan. 17, was extended through Friday in order to accommodate for persistent cold temperatures and poor road conditions.

Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann released a statement saying the state has increased assistance to low-income Hoosiers in order to aid the heating of homes during the polar vortex.

“Again, we see Hoosiers coming together to address a potentially life threatening situation,” Ellspermann said. “The governor has implemented the emergency steps to facilitate distribution and delivery of propane. We are asking farmers and others to voluntarily make excess supplies of propane available to others.”

— M.K. Wildeman