By Paige Anderson

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Dan Alsaker, president of Alsaker Corp., dba Broadway Flying J, shared how the high cost of energy not only has an impact on his customers but also his employees and the U.S. economy in general yesterday during the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s roundtable discussion on high energy costs and the resulting impact on small businesses.

Also participating in the roundtable, a small farmer and representatives from the Independent Petroleum Association of America and Project 21.

In his opening comments, Alsaker shared the role his seven stores play in the community by feeding and fueling small, rural communities, and how gas and diesel prices over the past year and half have been primarily due to supply constraints and also how truck driver and labor shortages have made the logistics of getting supply to the right places more difficult. 

During the Q&A session, Alsaker stressed how convenience and truck stop retailers are fuel agnostic. They are open to selling any fuels consumers want to buy, whether it be gasoline, diesel, renewables and even electricity. He also shared his experience with installing four EV chargers at one of his locations and some of the market challenges that exist as the transportation system adds more electrification to the system.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is holding other roundtable discussions on topics relating to health care and technology. The committee is expected to be active on energy-related topics this Congress, with a focus on increasing energy supply and strengthening infrastructure.

Paige Anderson is NACS director of government relations. She can be reached at panderson@convenience.org.