[Eli]

This is what I have been wondering with oil market in such disarray are we going to actually run out of product in certain markets?

Well energy Secretary Sam Bodman thinks we will.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')We're going to go through a very challenging time the next six months, is my guess," Bodman told USA Today in an interview published Monday. "Both in terms of gasoline availability and (prices of) natural gas and heating oil, we're going to have some problems."

[FireJack]

Gas shortages would not be surprising. They'll probably make sure it happenens where no one will notice, make sure the poor get screwed first.

[Shadizar]

Well, I don't know whats going on nationwide but here in Tallahassee I noticed two gas stations totally out of all types of gas yesterday and many others out of midgrade.

The midgrade has been out around town for a while now. Stations totally out is new. Prices here have started to vary a lot too. A couple of months ago the prices were within 5 cents almost all over town. Now they vary by as much as 25 cents.

Highest price I've seen is $3.19 so far (yesterday).

I don't see how we can avoid gas shortages when something like 17 percent of our refining and most of our gulf oil production has been down for weeks.

-Shadizar

[Eli]

The poor always get screwed nothing new there. What are we to do right more blank checks and subsidize fuel costs like India and Indonesia? What would that do for conservation?

I think the fact that refiners were told to to switch and make more gasoline rather than diesel is going to come back and bite us all.

That was what I was hinting at with the price of diesel. I had seen diesel was 2.69 last week slightly less than the 2.79 gas was running at but recently it has spiked passed gas to 3.19.

If I had to choose a fuel to run low on it would be gasoline not diesel. Worse comes to worse and I can bike to the store. But if the trucks don't roll on in there is no store to bike to. And most American familys have two cars cutting back to using one car can go along way to save on gas as well.

But if the truckers can't get fuel nothing gets done.

[Ketzl]

Diesel and natural gas are the most acute shortages here in Georgia.

Natural gas state's most severe shortage
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he most severe shortage the state suffers is in natural gas: Supplies from the Gulf Coast are down about 80 percent, according to federal estimates.

While the shortages aren't yet taking a toll on homeowners, businesses are already turning to reduced supplies of diesel fuel, said Dan McLagan, a spokesman for Gov. Sonny Perdue.

Diesel fuel is in high demand this time of year anyway, as farm crops need to be harvested and school buses run full schedules. But now the state is facing a 30 percent decline in diesel supplies from the Gulf and a natural gas shortage.

"It's created a kind of perfect storm of demand" for diesel fuel, said McLagan.

[BabyPeanut]

Poor poor!
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')ear Gentlemen,

Even before the tragic devastation of the Gulf Coast, low-income residents in our states faced significant increases in energy costs this winter. In this light, and with the added consideration of the hurricanes' impact, we are writing to request additional funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). We ask that you provide an immediate $1.276 billion in emergency LIHEAP funds in the next available emergency supplemental appropriations bill. These funds are necessary to meet the needs of both newly-displaced evacuees and existing LIHEAP recipients. For Fiscal Year 2006, we would urge that you increase regular LIHEAP funds significantly from current levels. The recent increase in LIHEAP authorization to $5.1B, signed into law last month as part of the Energy Policy Act, provides adequate room for a substantial increase.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) had projected consumer energy costs would rise by about 20 percent this winter. The EIA has recently updated its figures and is now projecting that costs will be 77 percent higher than last winter. Consequently, our state LIHEAP programs are expecting to see a surge in applications for the program. LIHEAP budgets will be further stretched as we attempt to meet the needs of hurricane evacuees, many of whom lost virtually everything in the storm. Additional funding will allow us to aid these newest residents and those who have traditionally relied on LIHEAP assistance.

Congress must recognize that covering dramatic increases in natural gas and heating oil prices will pose an immense challenge for our citizens as winter arrives. Therefore, we encourage you to give strong consideration to the above requests. Immediate emergency funding, and a significant increase in regular LIHEAP funding for FY 2006, would allow critical energy needs to be addressed before a crisis develops. We also feel strongly that Congress should ensure that these additional funds are distributed to all states based on residents' demonstrated needs.

We appreciate your work and commitment to assisting our neediest families and we urge you to increase funding for LIHEAP.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Governor Jennifer Granholm, Michigan
Governor Mitt Romney, Massachusetts
Governor Mike Huckabee, Arkansas
Governor Ruth Ann Minner, Delaware
Governor Rod Blagojevich, Illinois
Governor Thomas Vilsack, Iowa
Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas
Governor John Baldacci, Maine
Governor Robert Ehrlich, Maryland
Governor Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota
Governor Haley Barbour, Mississippi
Governor Brian Schweitzer, Montana
Governor Richard Codey, New Jersey
Governor Bill Richardson,New Mexico
Governor George Pataki, New York
Governor Michael Easley, North Carolina
Governor Bob Taft, Ohio
Governor Ted Kulongoski, Oregon
Governor Edward Rendell, Pennsylvania
Governor Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico
Governor Don Carcieri, Rhode Island
Governor James H. Douglas, Vermont
Governor Mark Warner, Virginia
Governor Christine Gregoire, Washington
Governor Joe Manchin III , W. Virginia
Governor Jim Doyle,Wisconsin
Governor Dave Freudenthal, Wyoming
Governor M. Jodi Rell, Connecticut

[BabyPeanut]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ketzl', 'T')he whole peak oil concept is too big to freak out about

[NeoPeasant]

Is it a coincidence that this is coming out on a day that the news will be saturation bombed with new supreme court nominee chatter?

[UncoveringTruths]

Baby Peanut

Do you have a link for the LIHEAP request?

[TT]

So I suppose now the panic buying will start.

Asking people to conserve will be of no avail.

[Eli]

Ketzl

Welcome! and great first post.

Good to here what you are seeing on the ground in your part of the world.

I think that a diesel shortage is a much bigger problem than running out of gas. It's not like truck drivers and Farmers when they are not working like to take their rig or tractor out for a Sunday drive. There is not a whole lot of fat that can be trimmed from diesel use.

[aahala]

I think NG is a worse problem than gasoline this winter.

You know every time you fill up what the price is and you may be able
to adjust what you use.

With NG, you may not know what the price is until the next bill, which might
be five weeks after the first days of useage. How many people are going
to look at their meter every few days?

I presume there are a lot of people like myself, on level payments
with NG, but zero people have that deal with their gas station. This
makes level payers less sensitive to useage and price.

[Eli]

All you use Natural Gas for is to heat homes and for electricity generation.

If you simply turn off the heat and the power NG will not be a problem this winter. (sarcasm)

[EnemyCombatant]

May I play devil's advocate.

How come the government is not implementing any rationing. If it's true there are naturgal gas and diesel shortage, then why not take action.

[Ketzl]

Thanks Eli! And BabyPeanut,

EnemyCombatant writes:$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'H')ow come the government is not implementing any rationing. If it's true there are naturgal gas and diesel shortage, then why not take action.

[fred2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnemyCombatant', 'M')ay I play devil's advocate.

How come the government is not implementing any rationing. If it's true there are naturgal gas and diesel shortage, then why not take action.

[Cynus]

What?! Haven't you guys heard? There's no such thing as shortages. You see, Economics 101 teaches us that when prices go up, demand goes down, and since people are no longer demanding the things they can't afford, there is no such thing as shortages. Voila! Everyone gets everything they demand. So as you drive (or bike) past gas stations with no gas, keep repeating "there's no such thing as shortages..."

[some_guy282]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NeoPeasant', 'I')s it a coincidence that this is coming out on a day that the news will be saturation bombed with new supreme court nominee chatter?

[foolcell]

Here in the great State of Kentucky, due to shortages you can now use Agricultural diesel (red dyed) on the highways. Diesel is running about 3.349 in this section of the state, also the rumor is the mom and pops can’t get gasoline and the local wholesale markets do not have any to sell.

[peaker_2005]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('foolcell', 'H')ere in the great State of Kentucky, due to shortages you can now use Agricultural diesel (red dyed) on the highways. Diesel is running about 3.349 in this section of the state, also the rumor is the mom and pops can’t get gasoline and the local wholesale markets do not have any to sell.