The trade association Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association has renamed itself the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association.
CEMA, which first formed in 1950, represents 585 oil companies in the state, namely gas stations and heating oil dealers.
The change comes as the heating oil industry in Connecticut has come under fire as Gov. Dannel Malloy has proposed switching as many as 300,000 customers to natural gas home heating. The change would reduce significantly the number of heating oil distributors in the state.
To cope with the change and the evolving energy market, many CEMA members are offering more energy services, such as energy efficiency assessments, propane, and natural gas equipment installations. Rather than heating oil dealers, they are seeking to become full-service energy companies.
The trade association’s new Web site is www.ctema.com.
