Gov. Bill HaslamPropane prices are up and some rationing of the home-heating fuel is occurring amid the second bitter cold snap this month.
Even in the Chattanooga region, located far enough south to miss most of winter’s hassles, a slowdown of propane distribution and rising demand is boosting gas prices.
It’s a “transportation bottleneck,” said Simon Bowman, a spokesman for AmeriGas, which operates offices throughout the area.
To help ease delivery problems, the govenors of both Tennessee and Alabama have declared state of emergencies to temporarily lift some driver restrictions to speed propane deliveries.
The Propane Education and Research Council said in a statement that “the supply of propane is not a problem. In fact, the United States is producing more propane now than at any time in decades.”