US propane retailer hedges to offer customers stable prices

Keeping Michigan residents warm for a reasonable price is the central mission of Grand Rapids-based propane and fuels retailer Crystal Flash. But it couldn't be done without hedging and prudent risk management

Because of the changes precipitated by Dodd-Frank, Crystal Flash now finds itself more likely to clear its trades than before

In January and February 2014, temperatures plunged across the eastern half of the US. Many energy firms came under strain as natural gas consumption surged – hitting an all-time one-day record of 137 billion cubic feet on January 7, 2014, according to the US Energy Information Administration – and power and gas prices went on a rollercoaster ride. The culprit was the polar vortex, a weather system that normally circulates around the North Pole but, on rare occasions, moves southward, bringing