Friday, June 28, 2013

Propane an Important Part of Obama's "Climate Action Plan"

Following the release of President Obama's "Climate Action Plan," NPGA released the following statement.

"Propane can be a key asset as the United States seeks to achieve its clean energy and climate change goals. Principally derived from natural gas, propane is a clean, efficient, domestic fuel, and it is a critical resource in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

"When used in core residential applications, such as space and water heating, propane lowers GHG emissions by 64 and 52 percent respectively when compared to electricity. In on-road engines and vehicles, using propane instead of gasoline lowers GHG emissions up to 25 percent. For example, when used in school buses, propane-powered engines produce 17 percent lower GHG emissions than their gasoline-fueled counterparts. In all of these applications, propane produces lower criteria pollutants than gasoline, diesel, or electricity. Moreover, propane has the benefit of being a portable low- emissions fuel that is not itself a GHG.

"The propane industry is already partnering with communities to put this readily available fuel to use. Earlier this week, the National Park Service announced it would be utilizing propane-powered mowers on the National Mall. Commercial mowers powered by propane produce 48 percent lower GHG emissions than gasoline-fueled mowers and significantly lower criteria pollutants.

"As the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency implement the President's plan, NPGA urges them to make certain that they utilize full-fuel cycle analyses in assessing options and making determinations. Employing site-based analyses for determining carbon emissions fails to reflect actual comparative environmental efficiencies.

"Propane is readily available in every state and is the world's most utilized alternative fuel. In 2011, approximately 9 billion gallons of propane from more than 9 thousand distribution points, was sold in the United States for residential, commercial, agricultural, and internal combustion applications."

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