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The frequency and intensity of natural disasters and severe weather makes reliable power more critical than ever. From wildfires, tornadoes, and the recent hurricanes that devastated the southeast, severe weather incidents are leaving millions without power, interrupting essential services, and damaging homes and businesses. Propane ensures critical operations run smoothly, even when the electric grid fails. Whether it’s for construction, agricultural, or residential use, propane-powered generators are an essential safety net during challenging weather conditions.
A Lifeline for Commercial Industries
Commercial industries are highly vulnerable to power outages, especially those in vital sectors such as healthcare and education. Hospitals and other critical care facilities require power to operate life-saving equipment, sterilize medical environments, and provide comfort to patients and their families. A power outage disrupts these operations, complicating patient care and safety. Many commercial industries rely on refrigeration, heating, or air conditioning. Extreme weather increases demand for electricity while also making it more difficult to supply power. During outages, product inventories spoil and businesses lose productivity, amounting to significant financial damages.
Historically, commercial industries have relied on diesel generators, but diesel itself is part of the problem. Propane-powered generators produce fewer emissions than those powered by diesel, making it especially advantageous for applications like schools and hospitals where it’s important to maintain healthy air quality. Propane generators can help businesses stay compliant with increasingly stringent emission regulations as propane is considered a clean alternative fuel by the U.S. Department of Energy and an approved clean fuel listed in the Clean Air Act. Businesses can protect themselves from power outages while also utilizing an environmentally friendlier resource by switching to propane.
Securing the Food Supply Chain
Power outages pose disastrous consequences for the agriculture industry. Farms rely on electricity to power irrigation systems, climate-controlled greenhouses and livestock buildings, and specialty equipment like milking machines. Farmers must be prepared to contend with whatever mother nature throws at them to meet their tight harvesting schedules and secure America’s food supply. Rapid changes in temperature, like a cold snap, can endanger a farm’s livestock and crops. Nonfunctioning equipment can cause delays and lead to waste. In extreme conditions, these outages reverberate down the chain, affecting everything from the availability of products to prices.
A one-size-fits-all solution is not good enough for farmers. Propane’s versatility can meet their needs from small farms to large, complex agricultural operations. Propane-powered generators come in a wide range of sizes to suit the specific space and power demands of a farm. Moreover, propane also complements other alternative energy sources, such as solar power. By incorporating propane, farmers can decrease their reliance on the grid and ensure the health and safety of their crops and livestock.
Millions of homeowners across the country already rely on propane for heat, hot water, and cooking. When the grid goes out, propane-powered appliances such as furnaces, water heaters, and kitchen appliances operate as normal. A propane generator extends this convenience to the rest of the home as well as ensuring families stay prepared for emergencies.
Propane backup generators installed at a house can power on within 10 seconds and last for several days because of propane’s efficiency. For families relying on medical equipment, such as oxygen tanks and respirators that require electricity to operate, a propane generator is essential for safety. While a propane backup generator provides peace of mind, prime generators can further loosen a home’s dependency on the electric grid. Regardless of which choice works best for each homeowner, propane keeps families safe and comfortable through even the worst of weather events.
Propane Builds Resilience
Even with sufficient preparation, it is difficult to predict exactly how flooding, high winds, or other adverse conditions might impact a residential construction project. Builders can get their sites up and running again quickly with propane. Propane-powered mobile backup generators, many of which are towable, can be deployed anywhere they’re needed. Having a versatile and portable source of power for tools, lights, and temporary HVAC is essential in maintaining continuity after a severe weather incident.
Like commercial construction, the residential construction industry has also historically relied on diesel generators rather than propane. In addition to increased emissions, diesel generators require frequent refueling as regulations limit the amount of diesel that can be stored on-site. Builders not only accrue lost productivity for frequent refueling, but also increased costs. Propane is generally 30-40% less expensive than gasoline or diesel. Adopting propane generators allows builders to recover downtime and stay on budget.
Propane power generation provides a flexible, efficient, and environmentally friendly solution that meets the power needs of businesses, farmers, homeowners, and construction sites alike. Propane ensures that critical functions remain operational, helping communities and businesses stay safe, secure, and resilient in the face of nature’s challenges.
For more information on propane power generation, visit Propane.com.
