It’s been a pretty mild winter aside from some of the outlying winter storms. And that means that propane delivery has been overall smooth. Cheryl Lytle is the executive director of the Wisconsin Propane Gas Association, which represents propane suppliers across the state. She says propane’s demand season went well, and prices are looking good for consumers.
“Weather really does make a difference in the demand for propane throughout the winter… and because of the conditions that we had, we had a pretty smooth season,” Lytle says.
Propane gets to the Midwest in a few different ways. One way is via pipeline from Conway, Kansas. It take three weeks for that supply to arrive, Lytle explains. In that three weeks, if there is a cold snap, it increases demand for propane because many Wisconsinites are using it to heat their homes. If a cold snap or a winter storm is underway, logistics are stalled, backing up propane deliveries during a time of peak consumption.
Another way propane is delivered is via rail. A cold snap limits the amount of cars a train can haul — think 100 cars in the summer, but 20 cars in the winter, Lytle says. Rail cars tend to come out of Edmonton, Canada.
Fall harvest starts off the propane season, because propane is used to dry grain. When harvest overlaps with an early cold snap in the weather, driving demand to heat homes, it strains propane supply.
“In Wisconsin, we are No. 5 use of propane in the country,” Lytle says. “It is due to the number of homes that are heating with LP and the support that we have for our ag partners.”
She notes that propane remains an economical choice for consumers.
“As inflation has hit other markets, it really has not hit propane,” she says. “We’re happy to see that we’re still one of the most economical prices. Propane auto gas runs about $1.80 to $2.00 a gallon. You can run forklifts, buses, your own car off of propane.”
Learn more about propane uses at Wisconsin Propane Gas Association’s website: https://wipga.org/propane-uses/
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