We talk regularly about how energy problems can lead to serious consequences. That’s why last week, the Governor declared a state of emergency to help mitigate the impacts of problems at a propane distribution facility:

This isn’t some small issue. It has the potential to impact parts of 1/3 of the state as rural areas generally feel a greater impact. And as temperatures drop, this was not a problem that could be ignored. The NJ Propane Gas Association explained what happened this way:

So this isn’t happening because there isn’t enough supply. It’s the production, processing and delivery that becomes an issue and that ultimately leads back to policymaking. That is the same type of situation we have been talking about when it comes to other energy options like natural gas where there is plenty of supply, but getting it into the system to help consumers becomes subject to policy choices and political games.

The bottom line is that if these facilities are not allowed to expand and improve what they are doing, problems like this that force us into emergency situations putting lives at risk are only going to keep compounding as current infrastructure ages.