Propane shortage hits Colorado and prompts Governor to issue disaster declaration

The governor Colorado issued a disaster emergency this week because of an expected shortage of propane.

Gov. John Hickenlooper took the action because the shortage might affect 33,000 residents who live in 20 counties in southern Colorado.

The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management issued the announcement.

“These customers may not be able to receive enough propane to heat their homes in the near future.”

The announcement blamed the shortage on production issues.

 

“The propane industry attempted to address the issue with rationing and other means,” the press release stated, “however propane shortages continue. Further, expected extreme winter weather over the coming weeks will increase demand for propane used as a winter heating fuel.”

Propane companies are attempting to compensate for the shortage by importing supplies of propane from out of state. However, those shipments, coming by road, are not expected to arrive in time to sufficiently resupply rural Colorado’s customers.

The governor’s order supports the resupply efforts by temporarily relaxing some regulations for companies and their truck drivers who are putting in extra time to combat this shortage in particular. The regulations suspend restrictions on driver hours for interstate delivery. No other safety regulations are changed, and this suspension of drivers’ service regulations ends Jan. 8, 2019.

Several state agencies, including the Colorado Energy Office, the office of Emergency Management, and the Colorado State Patrol, met early last week to evaluate the potential impacts of the shortage. Those agencies also received input from the Colorado and New Mexico Propane Gas Associations.

“As a result of this coordination,” the state’s press release states, “participating agencies concluded that the shortage did, in fact, present a clear risk to populations dependent on propane for heating.”