LP Gas, October 2018

ONYOURMARKETS POWER AUTOGAS GENERATION Natural gas sources up coal down E lectricity generators that use fossil fuels continue to be the most common sources of electricity generation in most states according to the U S Energy Information Administration EIA In all but 15 states coal natural gas or petroleum liquids were the most used electricity generation fuel in 2017 the administration says Coal traditionally the major producer of electricity has fallen in recent years as natural gas nuclear and hydroelectricity have gained market share Coal is still the major electricity producer in 18 states but that is down from 28 in 2007 and natural gas is up from 11 to 16 states since 2007 EIA reports So how does propane fit into all of this According to Jeff Petrash general counsel for the National Propane Gas Association propane doesnt generally have a stake in central station power generation It is typically more expensive than natural gas and though it could be used as a backup energy source many states arent interested in switching away from fuel oil the traditional fuel used for backup power Under the Clean Power Plan proposed by the Obama administration propane actively worked to lower electricity use in homes in order to reduce the amount of electricity consumed by states thereby reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce it In other words activities outside of the power plants themselves lent to reduced emissions overall 42 LPGas October 2018 LPGasmagazine com PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS WATER AND POWER AUTHORITY T he U S Virgin Islands took another step toward using propane as its primary source of power generation when it took delivery of three new generating units This is the first time in 14 years that the Water and Power Authority WAPA has purchased new generation for the Randolph Harley Power Plant located in Krum Bay St Thomas Virgin Islands the authority says Prior to the purchase of the units WAPA last purchased and This is considered an outside the fence approach Petrash says If you use more propane in home heating and water heating and backup power generation as well as combined applications you can reduce electricity demand which would reduce emissions from power plants Petrash says Under the Trump administrations proposed plan the Affordable Clean Energy Rule outside the fence means of reducing emissions by power plants will not be allowed he says Weve stood back from it because if they go down that path theres no great play for us Petrash explains Nor do we think there is any chance of convincing them theyre going the wrong way This is ideological WAPA has been working to move away from oil for power generation and toward propane since 2013 in an effort to reduce electricity costs Virgin Islands take another step toward propane power generation The development of these new units falls in line with requirements of an integrated resource plan which provides a blueprint of WAPAs generation over the next two decades The three units will be powered by lower cost LPG fuel representing the continued effort by WAPA to lower the cost of electricity to both residential and commercial customers LAWRENCE KUPFER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WAPA commissioned new generating equipment in December 2004 The arrival of the units manufactured by Wartsila completes an acquisition process that began in 2016 Once commissioned the units will provide 21 megawatts of electrical generation for dispatching to customers in the St Thomas St John district The three units will be powered by propane