Save It for a Rainy Day—Strategic Reserves for Crude and Refined Products
Many in the Northeast are digging out from what turned out to be a typical snowstorm – not a “Superstorm”. Thanks to worse crises in the past, however, a federal Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve was set up in 2000 and--thanks to Superstorm Sandy--federal and New York gasoline strategic reserves were put in place much more recently. The winter propane crisis of 2013-14 also sparked talk of a possible strategic reserve for propane. The theory behind establishing these stockpiles is that in markets that depend heavily on steady, reliable flow of energy products it’s important to have a cushion, a squirreled-away supply to avoid the price spikes and near-panic that can follow the words, “Sorry folks, we’re all out.” Today we examine what’s been done, how it’s worked, and what might be next.
