Propane is a green — and renewable propane is even greener.
Like so many of the families we serve, we believe that we need to do everything possible to combat and reverse the harmful effects of climate change. Customers often ask us how clean and renewable propane gas is.
We are happy to report that propane is a responsible fuel for your home. And it’s getting greener with each year that passes.
Is propane eco-friendly?
Not only is propane a dependable, American-made energy source. It’s also good for the planet. From a starting point, no new wells need to be dug for propane production because it’s a natural co-product of gas extraction and oil refining.
Propane’s carbon intensity (CI) is lower than virtually any other home heating fuel besides natural gas. And unlike natural gas, propane contains no methane, a potent greenhouse gas. It also emits almost no particulate matter, a carcinogen.
Plus, you don’t need to worry about fuel efficiency when you heat your home and power your gas appliances with propane. Propane-fired heating systems have fuel efficiency ratings above 90%. This keeps emissions — and your annual fuel costs — pretty darned low.
Is propane renewable?
As eco-friendly as conventional propane is, it’s becoming cleaner and more sustainable with the emergence of renewable propane.
Renewable propane is chemically identical to conventional propane, with all its environmental benefits. So what makes it more eco-friendly? It’s made with organic and recycled feedstocks, the same kinds that go into biodiesel production. These feedstocks include:
- Used cooking oil
- Animal fats and tallow
- Agricultural residue
- Woody biomass
- Municipal waste
There are also agricultural feedstocks like soybean oil and inedible corn oil. Producers and researchers are looking at seed oil plants like camelina that need very little water for cultivation and can grow on otherwise fallow land.
These plentiful, inexpensive feedstocks combine with a production process with a low carbon impact to generate fuel with a CI that’s roughly half of conventional propane’s — and about 16% of the CI of U.S. grid electricity. Indeed, renewable propane is carbon neutral at the point of combustion!
Since renewable propane and conventional propane are molecularly alike, they can blend together. You can use renewable propane in propane appliances without modification.
Renewable propane isn’t widely used in homes today, but you can expect to see it soon. The U.S. produced about 4.6 million gallons in 2021. That number is only going up!
Blue Flame delivers home comfort in Southern New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.
If you’re looking for reliable, friendly propane delivery in Bucks, Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May and nearby counties, get in touch with the Blue Flame team. We offer no-fee Automatic Delivery to customers, so you never need to check a tank gauge or call us for a delivery. We’ll track your propane usage and schedule your next delivery in advance. You’ll never run out of this efficient, clean fuel again!
Don’t settle for late propane deliveries and companies that don’t answer the phone. Reach out to Blue Flame to become a customer.