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Power Generation Delivers Reliable,
Power Generation Delivers Reliable,

Low-Cost Operation that Businesses
Low-Cost Operation that Businesses

are Demanding
are Demanding

he recent power grid failures in Texas and California are making us all rethink our energy choices. With the
arrival of spring and the promise of a robust building season, there is no hotter topic than consumer demand
for reliable power in the face of weather emergencies and overtaxed grid performance.
T Propane can help builders deliver more resilient homes and buildings as well as provide vital standby
power. A growing stable of high-tech propane generators, combined heat and power (CHP) units and microgrid systems offer
residential and commercial customers what they crave – whole-building standby protection at an affordable price.
Survey confirms problems, concerns
Research validates that commercial and industrial customers are particularly eager to find ways to protect businesses
from skittish power grids that gash productivity and profits.
A 2018 survey of facilities and energy managers of commercial and industrial businesses across the United States
found that 50 percent of companies experienced a power outage that lasted more than an hour in the past year. Eighteen per-
cent experienced a loss of more than $100,000 as a result of their worst outage.
That same State of U.S. Commercial and Industrial Power Reliability report by S&C Electric Company found that
70 percent see current power reliability as a
cause for concern, and 40 percent would pay
premiums to improve it. A robust 71 percent al-
ready own or plan to develop alternative energy
sources to supplement their current provider’s
generation and power reliability.
Joe Calhoun, associate director of busi-
ness development at the Propane Education &
Research Council (PERC), says it adds up to
a promising untapped opportunity to expand
propane sales.
“In today’s climate, there’s a world of opportuni-
ty with commercial power generation, especially
in portable solutions and microgrids. Customers
want more power and more reliability in its
performance – something propane can deliver,”
Calhoun says.
Generators, CHP, microgrids
When the power inevitably gets knocked
out, standby power keeps heating and cooling,
lighting, refrigeration, and other critical build-
ing amenities in operation. More than 20,000

22 Alabama Propane Gas Association | May / June 2021