This Earth Day, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is highlighting propane and renewable propane as key solutions for cutting emissions and delivering reliable energy amid global sustainability efforts. As a safe, clean, and readily available energy source that produces 52 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the electric grid, propane supports both the environment and communities striving for more sustainable, resilient energy.

“Too often the energy conversation turns toward a choice between sustainability and reliability; propane proves that you don’t have to choose,” said Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of PERC. “With extreme weather events on the rise, we need solutions that are as resilient as they are clean. Propane is widely available and rises to the challenge of keeping our planet clean and our communities up and running.”

In addition to being a low-carbon energy source, propane is nontoxic and does not contaminate soil or water, making it a safe choice for material handling professionals and the communities in which they operate. Propane-powered terminal tractors are significantly cleaner than their diesel counterparts with a 99 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx). These engines are also certified to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr) regulation.

These engines are even cleaner when they operate with renewable propane. Made from renewable feedstocks, renewable propane offers the same benefits of conventional propane—power, performance, and reliability—but with lower emissions. Renewable propane can be used in any current propane engine or infrastructure without modifications, providing another smart solution along the path to zero emissions.

Beyond its environmental benefits, propane provides material handling professionals with reliability and energy resilience because it is a portable energy source that can power equipment and be delivered independently from the electric grid. Propane-powered forklifts can be operated indoors and outdoors, don’t lose speed or power over time, can last an entire eight-hour shift on one cylinder, and can be quickly refueled with a new cylinder with minimal downtime. Because propane can be stored onsite and doesn’t rely on the grid, propane equipment can continue to operate in the aftermath of natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, blizzards or blackouts.

Propane can also support electric material handling fleets with propane-powered EV charging. The technology utilizes a small-scale, self-sufficient nanogrid with a propane-powered generator. The infrastructure operates independently from the electric grid to keep EV fleets moving.