Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., reveals how the state is dealing with the threat of Hurricane Milton in Cavuto: Coast to Coast.
Hurricane Milton occurred in Florida late Wednesday night and residents in areas affected by the life-threatening storm may see fuel supply disruptions until the storm passes and shipping resumes.
Gas shortage was reported on stations in parts of central Florida earlier this week as residents in the area filled up their tanks and headed out of Milton’s way. Some put fuel in to power generators that can be relied upon to keep the lights on in the event of a power outage.
The American Petroleum Institute (API), which represents the US oil and natural gas industry, said industry members are working with government officials to resolve supply issues and set the stage for a return to normal operations if possible.
“Our industry is closely monitoring Hurricane Milton and will work with federal and state officials to help mitigate supply disruptions and ensure normal operations resume as quickly and safely as possible after the storm passes,” API spokesman Scott Lauermann said in a statement to FOX. Business.
HURRICANE MILTON CAUSES GAS SHORTAGES IN FLORIDA AS RESIDENTS BREAK OUT.
People line up in their cars to get gas at a gas station ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo by MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
An ExxonMobil spokesperson told FOX Business, “Our focus is the safety and well-being of our employees as well Florida communities. We recognize that fuel supply is critical, and we are working to supply our Port Everglades fuel terminal with gasoline and diesel to support local emergency responders and public needs.”
“We are committed to continuing to operate the Port Everglades gas station 24 hours a day, and are prepared for increased truck traffic to assist efforts to get fuel where it is needed,” ExxonMobil said in a statement. “We are also working with others in the industry, including third-party distributors, to help supply garages as efficiently and safely as possible to meet fuel demand.”
FOX Business also contacted Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell about efforts to mitigate supply chain disruptions and plans to resume operations after the storm.
| A ticker | Security | Finally | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XOM | EXXON MOBIL CORP. | 122.09 | +0.05 |
+0.04% |
| CVX | CHEVRON CORP. | 149.65 | +0.90 |
+0.61% |
| COP | CONOCOPHILLIPS | 110.97 | +0.17 |
+0.15% |
| SHELL | Company SHELL PLC | 68.22 | -0.05 |
-0.07% |
‘WAFFLE HOUSE INDEX’ POINTS TO FLORIDA CLOSURES AS MILTON LEAVES CLOSURE CLOSES
Fuel trucks leave Port Everglades ahead of Hurricane Milton on October 09, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
An update from the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis noted that 25 Florida Highway Patrol Troopers were escorting fuel trucks from Port Tampa and SeaPort Manatee to fuel stations in the Tampa area Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
“Additional troops will continue this round-the-clock escort as long as it is safe to do so until they arrive,” the update said.
Vessel traffic in and out of Port Tampa Bay has been suspended, along with several others Ports of Florida in anticipation of the storm. The Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) noted that 43% of Florida’s petroleum products, including gasoline and diesel, pass through Port Tampa Bay.
“The timing of port closures and the impact of Hurricane Milton on petroleum and natural gas trade is uncertain,” the EIA wrote Wednesday.
HURRICANE MILTON: WHAT SHOULD EV OWNERS DO BEFORE AND AFTER THE HURRICANE?
Tankers and cargo ships moving cargo between US ports are required to comply with the Jones Act. (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
What is not clear shipping law known as the Jones Act may affect the resumption of conventional gasoline supplies in Florida. The law requires that goods transported by water between US ports be carried on vessels flagged and registered in the US, owned by Americans, operated by Americans and built domestically.
Colin Grabow, director of the Cato Institute’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, told FOX Business that the Jones Act “is appropriate for Florida because Florida is an energy island — there are no central pipelines that connect to, say, the Colonial Pipeline.” , and any filters on the Gulf Coast.”
Thunderstorms appear to be moving over Tampa as far away as St. (BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
As a result, Florida relies heavily on the ocean oil shipment and goods shipped by truck from nearby states. However, there are relatively few Jones Act-compliant tankers – Grabow explained that out of a global fleet of 7,500 tankers only 55 comply with the law’s requirements.
“I think in an emergency you want as much flexibility, as many options as possible. And this rule means we’re going to have very few ships to choose from to move cargo and fuel to Florida if that need arises.”
Grabow noted that there have been several waivers of the Jones Act in response to hurricanes, including notable examples by President George W. Bush in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, President Trump in response to Hurricane Maria in 2017 and President Biden with Hurricane Fiona in 2022.
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Those withdrawals have proven politically controversial, particularly the most recent withdrawal in 2022 when a BP-owned tanker en route from Texas to the Netherlands unloaded fuel in Puerto Rico. Grabow said proponents of the Jones Act say such waivers should only be issued to ships that are empty at the time of discharge.
“The bottom line is if this happens again, a lot of people think, ‘the government can just waive the Jones Act,’ but it’s been very difficult to get that waiver out since Biden did it two years ago and since Trump did it seven years ago after Hurricane Maria,” Grabow said.
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