President Obama’s Energy Department is tapping the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, a component of Strategic Petroleum Reserve, to alleviate the diesel fuel shortage brought on by Hurricane Sandy hitting the northeastern part of the country.
“Today’s announcement is part of the broader federal effort to respond to those impacted by Hurricane Sandy,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement on the decision to loan diesel fuel to the Defense Department, which is engaged in a variety of disaster response efforts pertaining to the hurricane.
DOD will pull 2 million gallons of ultra-low sulfur diesel out of the reserve, “which will be distributed to state, local and federal responders in the New York/New Jersey area, will be used to provide additional supplies to ensure continued response and recovery efforts. This includes fuel for emergency equipment and buildings, including electrical generators, water pumps, GSA buildings, trucks and other vehicles,” according to DOE.
“This loan from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve will help ensure state, local and federal responders in the impacted area have access to the diesel fuel they need to continue response and recovery efforts,” Chu said.
The Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve has never been drawn upon before.
