The Oil Heat Institute of Rhode Island has changed its name to the Energy Marketers Association of Rhode Island. The trade group’s board of directors voted in favor of the name change at its monthly meeting held Oct. 16 at Maria’s Cocina in Providence, Rhode Island.

OHIRI has historically served the interests of Rhode Island’s heating oil dealers and their customers. These dealers sell ultra-low sulfur heating oil blends containing a minimum 5 percent biodiesel. The blended product, commonly referred to as Bioheat, helps Rhode Island homes and businesses achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Rhode Island is the only state with a statewide biofuel-blending requirement for heating oil. Many EMARI members also offer other energy products and services, including diesel, biodiesel, propane, fuel storage tanks, and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, among others.

“Our new name better reflects our members’ increasingly diverse and environmentally responsible companies,” said Robert Fagan, EMARI executive director who has overseen the group’s rebranding process, which also includes an updated logo designed by New York-based public relations and marketing firm PriMedia Inc. “As Rhode Island looks to reduce its environmental footprint, EMARI members are poised to lead the state’s residential heating fuel sector to net-zero emissions by 2050. We look forward to continuing our organization’s groundbreaking efforts on this front. Rhode Island’s heating fuel dealers and energy service professionals work tirelessly to ensure the comfort and safety of their customers, and EMARI will continue to work equally hard on behalf of all our members.”

This announcement follows the trade group’s involvement in the historic summit held last month in Providence, where heating oil dealers committed to achieve industry-wide GHG emissions reductions of 15 percent by 2023, 40 percent by 2030 and net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. The agreement, now called the “Providence Resolution,” was endorsed by heating oil associations from six states in the U.S. Northeast. A number of local associations have since signed on as well.

The Energy Marketers Association of Rhode Island represents 78 member-companies that collectively deliver approximately 118 million gallons of renewable liquid heating fuel to more than 128,000 Rhode Island homes and businesses per year.