Propane and the Environment

A clean-burning, eco-friendly fuel for Tennessee households

Today’s homeowners are as concerned about the health of our planet as they are about their home comfort. At Trinity Gas, we are committed to delivering fuel that keeps you comfortable and safe without harming the environment. Propane is just that fuel.

How eco-friendly is propane?

Propane is a co-product of natural gas extraction and oil refining, so it doesn’t require additional drilling for production. And propane’s carbon emissions are far lower than those of other fuel sources, including gasoline and diesel.

Unlike natural gas, propane contains no methane, a potent greenhouse gas. It also emits virtually no particulate matter, a known carcinogen. In fact, propane is listed as an alternative clean-burning fuel in the National Energy Policy Act of 1992 and the 1990 Clean Air Act.

How do propane and electricity compare?

You might be surprised to learn that propane has a far lower carbon intensity than U.S. grid electricity, which still relies on fossil fuels for generation. Tennessee depends on coal and other fossil fuels for much of its grid power. How does its carbon intensity compare to propane’s?

[Source: Propane Education & Research Council]

And propane is becoming even greener.

Have you heard about renewable propane?

Renewable propane is molecularly identical to conventional propane, but it’s made with recycled and organic feedstocks, including used cooking oil, animal fats, woody biomass, municipal waste, soybean oil and inedible corn oil. Renewable propane made from domestic, non-rendered, used cooking oil has a carbon intensity (CI) score of only 20.5 — one-fifth the CI of Tennessee’s grid electricity!

While it isn’t in widespread use yet, renewable propane’s production increases considerably each year.