heating oil

With rising natural gas prices on the horizon, New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-Lockport, unveiled a new plan to combat increasing energy costs on Long Island.

Low-income households in Connecticut in need of heating assistance this winter can apply for state help starting Sept. 1. The state has set aside $79 million for the program.

Diesel and heating oil supplies in the Northeast are more than 50% below the recent average, raising concerns that an extreme weather event could cause supply disruptions, federal officials said.

Two million barrels of heating oil and gasoline are stored in tanks scattered across the northeast, from New Jersey to Maine.

The Connecticut House voted to extend a pandemic provision that allows restaurants to expand outdoor dining for another year.

A less heralded aspect of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's 2014 agenda is a plan to increase the number of homes and businesses burning biomass for heat.