Commissioner Diaz calls for gas supply reserve in Florida

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY – Hoping to avoid a repeat of the gas shortages experienced as a result of Hurricane Irma, the Miami-Dade County Commission on July 10 approved a resolution sponsored by Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz to urge Congress to pass pending legislation calling for the U.S. Energy Department to establish, maintain and operate a gasoline supply reserve within the state of Florida.

The resolution supports federal legislation to create a Florida Gasoline Supply Reserve with at least a million barrels of gas.

“Ensuring we don’t run out of gas during a hurricane is so critical to public safety and our ability to assist our first responders in recovery efforts,” Commissioner Diaz said. “Residents also need gas to be able to evacuate and then return home, as well as to operate their generators.”

As a state that relies heavily on its ports to receive fuel shipments, Florida is particularly vulnerable to fuel shortages before, during and after hurricanes, when ports are often closed. During Hurricane Irma, about 60 percent of gas stations in Miami-Dade and other affected areas ran out of fuel.