Natural Gas Came Up Short During Texas’ Freeze But Propane Delivered

Natural Gas Came Up Short During Texas’ Freeze But Propane Delivered

When Texas freezes over, it is time to sit up and pay attention. It is not so different from California boiling over last summer and setting record temperatures. But the reality is that such weather has become the "new normal“ and next week, it could just as easily be New England that is made to suffer. 

Indeed, what Texas teaches us is that it is unwise to rely on one energy source. And it is equally stupid to politicize such events “” to blame fossil fuels or renewable energy for what used to be rare events but which are now "routine.“ Texas froze. And in doing so, its infrastructure failed, which involves natural gas supplies and the pipelines to transport it. Windmills, which need to be winterized, also shuttered. 

But many residents were able to stay warm and to keep their lights on by using propane tanks “” a power source that is cleaner than diesel fuel but which does not depend on the network to get to homes. It is dense, readily accessible and easy to transport. To be clear, it's not a "just-in-time“ fuel source that kicks on when the electricity goes out. It is stored in everything from 20-pound