Propane: A “Low Carb” Energy Surprise
Starting a conversation about clean energy
June 2, 2020 | by Tina Wilson
For many years, we’ve heard about the advantages of “low carb” diets. Carbohydrates in food come in the form of sugars, starches, and fiber – and while we need them in our diet – carbs can be too much of a good thing for us.
We don’t often stop to think about the word, carbohydrates, but there’s some chemistry to it. The root, carb, is a nod to the fact that carbon is inside of our food. Hydrogen, too. That’s the “hy” part of the word.
It’s a reminder that the energy inside of food, fuels life. Likewise, energy – the kind you find inside tanks – fuels our lives. It heats and powers our homes, businesses and hospitals. It makes technology and transportation possible as well as the growing and harvesting of crops. Virtually every aspect of life requires energy.
The world’s need for energy isn’t going away either. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that world energy consumption will grow by nearly 50 percent between 2018 and 20501.
The challenge is straightforward: How do we make our way to a “low carb” future when energy demand is growing so rapidly?
One truth we face in answering this question is that no single energy source can serve every need and take us toward a low carbon future. But you know what? Some energy sources, like propane, are surprisingly well-suited to deliver on this challenge.
Propane delivers climate-protecting power. Not only does propane produce 43 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than electricity generated from the grid, but it is also a nontoxic fuel that won’t contaminate soil or groundwater. Propane use creates zero ozone impact, zero toxicity, and zero contamination.
That’s just the beginning. Propane has a variety of environmental benefits, and we’ve gathered the environmental facts about propane in one spot on our digital newsroom so you can discover for yourself the benefits propane brings to the energy low carb conversation. You can also dive deeper into the environmental benefits of using propane in our digital newsroom at CleanAmericanEnergy.us. The newsroom contains facts on emissions, case studies and “Path to Zero,” a podcast hosted by Tucker Perkins, CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council, focused on the journey toward a low carbon future. In the months ahead, we’ll be posting infographics, videos and more information about propane that is likely to surprise you – and give you hope that we can, indeed, move toward a low carbon future if we use the clean energies available to us right now.
Propane is clean American energy made when natural gas is purified for residential and commercial use. It provides low carbon, low emission fuel for our lives. And, it is readily available across the country without the need for costly infrastructure, and without upsetting sensitive habitat. Propane is a versatile alternative fuel already being used in nearly 12 million U.S. households for residential uses, and by millions of Americans for transportation, commercial, industrial, and agricultural applications.
Talking about a low carb future may not be something you do every day, so we invite you to learn more by visiting our digital newsroom, downloading the environmental fact sheet, reading Tucker’s article entitled, “The Path to Zero: Propane’s Role in a Low Carbon Future,” and enjoying the Path to Zero podcast.
By understanding the benefits propane has to offer, I hope you’ll agree we have an energy that can help our world take a big step towards a low carbon future.
