Written on: April 18, 2022
ADDING PROPANE TO THE ENERGY MIX CAN KEEP THE POWER ON WHEN THE ELECTRIC GRID FAILS
A year ago, Winter Storm Uri left millions of Texas residents without power. The snow and ice rendered the electric grid useless, critical infrastructure was shut down, and in some places, people were without power for weeks.
But through the darkness of this power outage, propane was keeping the lights on. In homes, at the Austin Aquarium, in livestock barns –- across a wide range of locations, propane provided reliable power, heat, and hot water to buildings and their inhabitants.
Power for Your Home Regardless of the Grid’s Status
Jennifer Borget, a mother and blogger who lives outside of Austin, was able to keep her family safe even while the electric power was out.
“Several of our appliances in our home rely on propane so when we had intermittent power, that’s when we realized that our fireplace, furnace and water heater were able to quickly warm our family,” she said of their experience during the storm. “I have propane on-site here at my home and ready to power all major systems regardless of the grid situation.” Without propane, they may have been one of the thousands of families who went without these comforts for weeks.
A Mix of Energy Sources Means More Reliability
As we reflect on Winter Storm Uri a year later, one thing is clear: Relying on only one energy source, such as electricity, to power our daily lives is a risky venture.
“As Texans, we’re not going to forget what happened last year and what that experience was like. A lot of us are doubting the reliability of our utility providers being able to deliver power during all these different weather events,” says Jennifer.
Energy diversity is the best path toward ensuring something like this never happens again, and propane is the perfect companion to many energy sources such as solar, natural gas, and electricity.
