Quick Links to Articles for July 23, 2021

White House Further Delays 2021 RFS Blending Mandates

EMA Mourns the Loss of former CO-WY Association Executive Roy Turner

EMA Again Joins Coalition in Letters Opposing Minimum Liability Insurance Increase

Reminder: EMA’s Fall Meeting at the NACS Show 2021 Planned for October 4-5 

EMA Member Services Spotlight Featuring: Patriot Capital

Announcing Our Fall Meeting Partner Sponsors! 

Federated Insurance Risk Management Academy Webinar

Federated Insurance: It’s Your Life

Negotiations continue in the Senate for a bipartisan infrastructure agreement. Though Senate Republicans blocked a motion to advance the framework this week, lead GOP negotiators have assured Democrats that Republicans will be ready to proceed next week. According to negotiators, nearly every major issue has been resolved, with the exception of transit funding. Eighty percent of transit funding typically goes to highways, with the remaining 20 percent going to public transit, but Republicans are reportedly trying to increase the share devoted to highways. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) said the group of twenty bipartisan negotiators needed the weekend to finalize certain provisions and prepare a summary in advance of a vote next week. President Biden and the White House are supportive of the timeline and are confident that an agreement will be reached. Should a bipartisan agreement not be reached, Senate Democrats are prepared to fold the $600 billion from the bipartisan framework into a larger reconciliation package that would only be able to pass with Democratic support. 

On July 21, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), joined by thirty House Democrats, sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) advocating for various provisions from the House-passed INVEST in America Act to be included in BIF. On July 20, Rep. DeFazio also circulated a Dear Colleague letter outlining the key difference between the House and Senate's surface transportation bills, specifically highlighting the discrepancy in climate spending.

The Biden Administration has delayed the EPA’s proposed RFS biofuel blending mandates for 2021 and possibly 2022 pending a decision how to address the competing interests of the ethanol and oil industries and their political backers. The RFS divides Democrats and Republicans along regional lines that pit Midwestern biofuels supporters against biofuel supporters against and backers of the oil industry who believe ethanol is bad for the environment. Complicating the process is razor thin support in the Senate for the pending infrastructure package that the White House worries could be used as leverage if the RFS blending mandates were to be released sooner than later. The EPA is required by law to set RFS blending mandates by November 30th each year for the following year’s obligations. However, the EPA has not submitted its proposed blending mandates to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) which typically takes 90 days to sign off on proposed regulations. Presidential election politics together with the difficulty of establishing 2021 blending mandates based on skewed gasoline consumption data from 2020 due to COVID were initially responsible for EPA’s delay. Nevertheless, the agency expected to propose blending mandates this spring. But that deadline was missed as well due to the EPA’s need to sort out three significant court rulings, one from the Supreme Court and two from the U.S. Court of Appeals, that bear directly on the RFS blending volumes. Due to the time required for OMB review and the mandatory notice and public comment period, it is likely the EPA may delay release of proposed 2021 blending mandates until November 30th when 2022 volumes are announced. 

Underscoring the political complexity of the RFS, Sens. Pat Toomey (R-PA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a bill on July 20 to eliminate “implied” corn ethanol mandate under the RFS. The RFS program does not explicitly mandate corn ethanol, but most of the program’s overall requirement is still satisfied by a de facto 15 billion gallons corn ethanol statutory volume. The senators want to end that mandate and move to renewable fuels providing greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. 

We are deeply saddened to pass along the news that the family of Roy A. Turner announces his passing at his home in Arvada on June 14, 2021, at the age of 78 years old. Roy will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 45 years Kathy Turner, daughters Christi Krenke and Melissa Shearer, sons Don Turner & R.J. Turner (daughter-in-law Jen Turner), fourteen grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

Roy was born and raised in Edgewater, CO. He graduated from Jefferson High School in Edgewater and attended Colorado University in Pueblo. After college, Roy worked for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. He then joined the Coors Brewery Company, where he had management positions in legislative affairs, sales and production, for eighteen years. He was chief lobbyist for the corporation for 8 years.

Roy was Executive Vice President for Colorado-New Mexico-Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association for twenty-six years and was instrumental in passing the underground storage tank legislation in the tri-state region, providing clean-up funds for association marketers. 

He was a little league soccer, basketball and baseball coach and served as the vice president on the Arvada Junior Baseball Board. His hobbies included target shooting, fishing, camping/RVing, bowling, golfing and spending time with his family.

Roy will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

This week, EMA joined a coalition in letters to Senate Democratic Leadership and Senate Republican Leadership urging them not to include language that would increase the minimum liability insurance requirements for motor carriers. Such language was included in the recently passed House INVEST in America Act highway bill but was not included in the Senate Commerce Committee’s highway bill. The letter encourages senators to keep the language out of the final senate highway bill, and out of the final conferenced bill.

The House bill would increase minimum liability insurance requirements for motor carriers by 167 percent from the current level of $750,000 to $2,000,000. Federal research has demonstrated such a change is entirely unnecessary, would do nothing to improve highway safety, would needlessly jeopardize countless blue-collar jobs, and destroy many small, family-owned businesses. Raising insurance minimums for countless businesses engaged in trucking would undoubtedly cause many to shutter, leading to the loss of American jobs at the worst time possible. This policy clearly does not belong in legislation that is designed to rebuild our infrastructure and encourage economic growth.

Although the minimum increase would not directly impact petroleum carriers, it would set a precedent that could lead to an increase in requirements for marketers down the road. EMA will continue to oppose efforts to raise minimum liability insurance.

EMA will hold its Fall Meeting in conjunction with the NACS Show on October 4-5 at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile. The EMA meeting will begin with a New Attendee Orientation mid-afternoon on October 4 followed by the Federal Legislative Update. NACS/EMA Reception Salute to State Association Executives and EMA Chair Aaron Littlefield (all EMA members are welcome) will follow at the InterContinental Hotel. On the morning of October 5, there will be a Buffet Breakfast followed by Region and Committee Meetings. The EMA Board of Directors meeting is scheduled after the Distinguished Service Award Luncheon sponsored by EMA Corporate Platinum Partner Federated Insurance. North Dakota Marketer Matt Bjornson is this year’s recipient of EMA’s highest honor.

You can find all available details here from how to make your hotel reservations through NACS Housing to viewing the Conference Schedule and registering with secure event payment processing. Responding to the event email sent on July 7th is the recommended method to register or decline. 

Registration is open for the 2021 NACS Show to be held October 5-8 in Chicago at McCormick Place and is separate from the EMA Meeting Registration.

New for All EMA members: 
If you click here when registering for the show and enter the promo code EMA2021NS you will be assisting the Energy Marketers of America (EMA) and your state member association considerably. By promoting registration using this unique code amongst our marketer members, both EMA and your state member association will receive an increase in revenue, as each registration using that code will deliver a financial gain to these organizations that will be shared between them.

The NACS Show continues to be an important networking and educational trade show to advance your businesses and our industry, and we encourage you to share this information with your state’s member companies, particularly those who have attended the NACS Show in previous years, in order to benefit EMA and your state association. 

Earlier this summer, Patriot Capital and the Energy Marketers of America (EMA) partnered to help marketers and their dealers across the United States achieve EMV compliance. 

The partnership will ensure that capital is available, competitively priced, and easy to access for marketers and their dealers. 

Patriot Capital President Chris Santy said, “Now that the EMV deadline has passed and chargebacks are becoming a reality, our new program with EMA will enable marketers and their dealers to protect their business from fraudulent actions by upgrading their equipment. Our capital will help make the process cost-effective and exceedingly easy for marketers and dealers nationwide. Additionally, when EMA State and Regional Association members and their customers apply through the EMA on-line portal, Patriot will contribute to both the state association and EMA to support the industry.” 

This joint effort from Patriot Capital and EMA is designed to assist Marketers with EMV compliance and additional site upgrades, which will improve Marketers’ and dealers’ sites, and increase sales.

EMA President Rob Underwood said, “Supporting the continued success of our members is a top priority for EMA and we are excited about the partnership we have formed with Patriot Capital to help our members achieve EMV compliance.”

EMA Chair Aaron Littlefield added, “It is urgent that our industry complete the necessary upgrades to become EMV compliant as soon as possible. I was thrilled we were able to partner with Patriot Capital that not only supports the upgrade effort within our industry but at the same time support these indispensable national, state, and regional trade associations.”

“The work EMA and their Member State Associations do is vital to its members and our whole industry. We are proud to be able to partner with them and support the critical work they do every day while helping their members achieve EMV compliance,” added Santy.

For more information, or to apply for the promotion, interested parties should visit: www.patriotcapitalcorp.com/EMA. Patriot Capital is an EMA Corporate Gold Partner.

Energy Marketers of America wants to give a huge THANK YOU to our Fall Meeting 2021 Partner Sponsors: Federated Insurance, Altria Group Distribution Company, RAI Trade Marketing Services, The Spirit® Brand, Renewable Energy Group, Inc. and Meridian Associates, Inc. 

EMA and Arkansas Oil Marketers Association (AOMA) want to give a special thank you to the Phillips 66 for sponsoring the Reception Salute honoring our 2020-2021 EMA Chair Aaron Littlefield!

We appreciate the loyalty and support of our EMA Corporate Partners and their continuous commitment to the energy industry. For more information on our Partner Programs, please contact Susan Isard. 

Recent tax proposals could bring many changes, especially for business owners. The potential loss of a “step-up in basis” could significantly change the way assets are transferred to heirs, along with a possible increase in capital gains rates. These changes could have significant consequences to the next generation of business owners. Many strategies are available to help mitigate the impact these potential changes may have on your family and business.

What you will learn: 

• Why your personal estate planning is critical.

• Why your business succession planning is not only critical for your business but your family too.

• Strategies for your family and business today and generations down the road. 

Advanced registration is required for this one-hour webinar.

For additional information or to discuss this in further detail, please contact your Federatedregional representative or EMA’s National Account Executive Jon Medo at 800.533.0472. Federated is an EMA Corporate Platinum Partner. 

Over the years you’ve built a profitable business. You’ve invested your money and time to cultivate your passion. Now it’s time to consider your most valuable business asset. While physical assets — the buildings and equipment — support financial goals, the success of many businesses can be traced to the good judgment, skills, and expertise of your key employees.

Please click here to read about the Triple Protection Plan. 

Please always feel free to contact your Federated regional representative or EMA’s National Account Executive Jon Medo at 800.533.0472 for any additional information or risk management questions. Federated is an EMA Corporate Platinum Partner. 

This article is for general information and risk prevention only and should not be considered legal or other expert advice. The recommendations herein may help reduce, but are not guaranteed to eliminate, any or all risk of loss. The information herein may be subject to, and is not a substitute for, any laws or regulations that may apply. Qualified counsel should be sought with questions specific to your circumstances. © 2021 Federated Mutual Insurance Company.