Statewide Iowa — (RI) — Iowa’s two U-S senators are pushing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider its options and prioritize pipeline shipments of propane to Iowa.
Senator Chuck Grassley says he and fellow Republican Joni Ernst are calling on the agency to act right away, as concerns are rising about the state’s worsening propane shortage.
The request for action stems from consistent feedback Grassley says he’s getting from farmers, co-ops and others around Iowa about the dwindling supply of liquid propane gas.
Governor Kim Reynolds is already working with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to ease the hours of service and the various rules for trucks that are hauling propane into Iowa, primarily from a large depot in Kansas.
Grassley says the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, was able to force temporary changes a few years ago during a propane shortage and he’s hoping for a repeat.
While many farmers need propane to dry their grain so it doesn’t rot in storage, others need the fuel to keep their livestock, homes and businesses warm.
