II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 515 

To require the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study to determine the 

feasibility and effectiveness of establishing a national strategic propane 

reserve. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2023 

Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Mr. THUNE) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study to 

determine the feasibility and effectiveness of establishing 

a national strategic propane reserve. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing Our Propane 

5 Supply Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY STUDY ON ESTAB7 LISHING NATIONAL STRATEGIC PROPANE RE8 SERVE. 

9 (a) STUDY.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

2 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec3 retary of Energy, in consultation with the Adminis4 trator of the Energy Information Administration, 

5 shall complete a study to determine the feasibility 

6 and effectiveness of establishing a national strategic 

7 propane reserve, separate from the Strategic Petro8 leum Reserve established under part B of title I of 

9 the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 

10 6231 et seq.). 

11 (2) ELEMENTS.—The study under paragraph 

12 (1) shall include— 

13 (A) an assessment of the current state of 

14 the propane supply chain in the United States 

15 to meet current and forecasted consumer de16 mands; 

17 (B) an assessment of the risks of regional 

18 propane supply disruptions, including— 

19 (i) past causes of disruptions; 

20 (ii) possible causes of disruptions in 

21 the future; and 

22 (iii) whether disruptions justify the es23 tablishment of a national strategic propane 

24 reserve; 

25 (C) an evaluation of— 


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1 (i) appropriate and most suitable loca2 tions for a strategic propane reserve; 

3 (ii) the quantity of propane storage 

4 that would be appropriate at each such lo5 cation; and 

6 (iii) the suitability of existing infra7 structure to facilitate transportation and 

8 delivery of propane from a strategic pro9 pane reserve during a drawdown; 

10 (D) an evaluation of the additional infra11 structure needed for a strategic propane reserve 

12 to function properly; 

13 (E) consideration of the means by which a 

14 strategic propane reserve would prevent and 

15 manage degradation of the propane in storage; 

16 (F) an evaluation of appropriate triggers 

17 (including price and supply) for making avail18 able propane from a strategic reserve; 

19 (G) an evaluation of the appropriate man20 ner of acquiring propane and propane storage 

21 for a strategic reserve, while minimizing market 

22 implications, including an assessment of— 

23 (i) unutilized and under-utilized stor24 age; and 

25 (ii) new storage opportunities; 


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1 (H) an evaluation of the appropriate trans2 actions (including direct sales, exchanges, or 

3 other options) for delivering propane in a stra4 tegic reserve to the market when a release is 

5 triggered; 

6 (I) an evaluation of likely consumers (in7 cluding individuals, agricultural producers, and 

8 the Armed Forces) of propane from a strategic 

9 reserve, including— 

10 (i) identification and categorization of 

11 those consumers; 

12 (ii) a State-by-State breakdown of 

13 propane usage by those consumers; and 

14 (iii) an evaluation of the expected im15 pacts of a strategic propane reserve on 

16 those categories of consumers and States; 

17 (J) an evaluation of the market implica18 tions of establishing and administering a stra19 tegic propane reserve, including an assessment 

20 of potential price and supply effects; and 

21 (K) identification, preliminary assessment, 

22 and evaluation of alternatives to a strategic 

23 propane reserve that could provide supply and 

24 price relief during regional propane supply dis25 ruptions. 


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1 (3) RECOMMENDATIONS.—In conducting the 

2 study under this subsection, the Secretary of Energy 

3 shall develop recommendations with respect to each 

4 element of the study described in paragraph (2) re5 garding— 

6 (A) whether a national strategic propane 

7 reserve should be established; and 

8 (B) if such a reserve should be established, 

9 the most practicable method of establishment. 

10 (b) PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

11 of completion of the study under subsection (a), the Sec12 retary of Energy shall develop a plan for implementing 

13 the recommendations developed under paragraph (3) of 

14 that subsection. 

15 (c) INDUSTRY COORDINATION.—In conducting the 

16 study under subsection (a) and developing the plan under 

17 subsection (b), the Secretary of Energy is encouraged to 

18 coordinate with entities in the propane industry, including 

19 representatives from the entire propane supply chain. 

20 (d) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary of 

21 Energy shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 

22 Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 

23 Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 

24 a report describing— 


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1 (1) the study completed under subsection (a); 

2 and 

3 (2) the plan developed under subsection (b). 

4 (e) PROTECTION OF NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMA5 TION.—Before submitting the report under subsection (d), 

6 or otherwise publishing the study completed under sub7 section (a) or the plan developed under subsection (b), the 

8 Secretary of Energy shall adopt such procedures with re9 spect to confidentiality (including procedures for redaction 

10 of information) as the Secretary determines to be nec11 essary to ensure the protection of classified information 

12 relating to specific vulnerabilities to United States energy 

13 security or reliability. 

Æ 


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