Propane users are looking at a favorable market this fall. Supply is high and cost is low, according to the Wisconsin Propane Gas Association.
Executive Director Cheryl Lytle says there are also some strategies to take this season to make sure you are on top of your supply and prices. Additional opportunities are available for farms and businesses to bring on more propane, even when it comes to meeting sustainability goals.
Roughly 280,000 homes in Wisconsin use propane as their primary heating source – this is the No. 1 market for propane in the Badger State. The agriculture sector is the second-highest user of propane, which is used to dry grain, heat livestock barns, and kill pests and weeds in the field.
Lytle says the propane industry is looking forward to a chilly winter after a “winter that wasn’t” between the mild temperatures and the early spring. She says Oct. 1 was the official start to their busy season, beginning with the harvest. Lytle says Wisconsin’s propane sector is prepared for Mother Nature after making investments in transportation and fuel storage.
She advises homeowners to consider investing in a tank monitor. A tank monitor allows you to keep tabs on your propane supply from your smartphone. It alerts you when it’s time to call your provider for a refill.
Sustainable Propane
Wisconsin is among the top five states for propane usage. The largest market is for heating homes. The second-largest market is for agriculture. The propane industry is also discovering new markets in the sustainability arena.
Lytle says propane belongs in the clean energy discussion because it has a low carbon intensity number. 0 is the goal. Renewable propane (made from used cooking oil from restaurants) is 20. Standard propane is 79.
While renewable propane is more popular on the West Coast, it will soon make its way to Wisconsin. A new plant in California will create more gallons. The industry is working to grow demand in other areas of the U.S.
The industry is also looking at Camelina — this is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant, and pest-resistant cover crop that can be broken down to make renewable propane.
Renewable propane can be used in the same way as regular propane. Even standard propane is cleaner than alternative energy. It’s also a better value for energy per dollar, even compared to electric, Lytle says.