• Article by: TOM MEERSMAN , Star Tribune

More propane is shifting from pipelines to railways this fall as Minnesota marketers bulk up supplies of the fuel for crop-drying and winter heating.

WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin is calling on the Energy Department to do more to avert another propane shortage and be better prepared if one threatens.

She and Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota sent a letter Friday to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and a variety of federal agencies pushing them to finalize a coordinated, emergency-response plan, and outlining what they want included.

The senators asked that federal officials establish clear criteria for triggering an emergency response, develop a list of actions for each agency to take during a response, and distribute guidance and information to state and local governments.

The agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, have been working to develop a plan.

"While we are encouraged that this planning is underway, additional steps are needed to establish a comprehensive response mechanism, and we strongly urge you to complete this plan before winter begins," Baldwin and Franken wrote.

Baldwin has needled the administration on the issue since propane shortages last winter drove prices to record levels and left many Wisconsin residents struggling to heat their homes and dry their crops.

She urged the administration to investigate, pressed the FERC to use emergency authority to speed propane shipments, and co-sponsored legislation to extend allowable delivery service hours. In May, she grilled industry and administration officials at a hearing on the factors that caused the crisis and how to prevent another one.

In August, Baldwin, Franken and Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio filed a bill - the Propane Supply and Security Act of 2014 - that would require the administration to collect and provide regular data on propane inventory and pricing, direct the emergency response to any shortages, develop training programs for distributors and customers, and figure out whether a propane reserve is needed, similar to the petroleum reserve.

That bill has so far gone nowhere. In the meantime, the administration has taken steps on its own. The Energy Information Administration started collecting and distributing more granular data on the propane industry, and energy officials have expanded outreach to regional stakeholders.

"We appreciate the steps the Department of Energy has taken already in response to concerns we have raised since last year," Baldwin and Franken wrote in their letter Friday. "But we urge you to implement a new emergency response system for heating fuel supply shortages as soon as possible."

Wisconsin propane dealers have said they have taken steps to avert another crisis, including adding storage and beefing up delivery capacity, but they warned in September that another cold winter is expected and a pipeline that was shut down last year is being used for other purposes.