From NBC News: Propane shortage adds to winter woes
However, the energy shortage is not just a result of families and business owners trying to keep buildings comfortable during the persistent cold spells. The Midwest started the winter with a propane deficit since a greater than usual amount of propane was used in November to dry corn crops during a rain-soaked harvest, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Psssssssst....there is more to the propane shortage story.....a massive amount of propane is used in "fracking" (both domestic and for export) and so far there is a net loss over what is used in the process and what is recovered....so don't pin the whole shortfall on a wet corn and point the finger at agriculture and Granny's thermostat setting.
ReplyDelete"...so don't pin the whole shortfall on a wet corn and point the finger at agriculture..."
DeleteI thought the finger was pointed at the absolute stupidity of corn-sourced ethanol, which accounts for 38 percent of all the corn grown on the continent. Talk about net losses!
Do I detect a certain 'sensitivity' Glengarrian? ;)
DeleteSomewhat tj230....I don't agree with the green energy policy that has a copious amount of diesel fuel being burned to grow and harvest corn and natural gas and propane burned to dry it down for storage...all to make ethanol to go out the tail pipe of a car/truck.
ReplyDeleteBut in the spirit of "never let a good crisis go to waste" the delayed/wet corn harvest of 2013 is being made out as the main cause of a sudden propane shortage for home heating across rural Ontario (and the Midwest)...there are more factors including the massive use for fracking.
And no....we don't grow corn....
And yes....I fear the Ontario Liberals will hold an emergency debate and issue us all red one-ies to wear to stay warm :)
So, was there a massive Oct-Dec increase in propane consumption for fracking? I would have thought that those volumes would be more or less constant.
ReplyDeleteI can't wow ya with bs numbers for consumption but I do know that propane prices started to spike in early August...and what is best described as a perfect storm of factors with cold weather, agricultural use and export/domestic demand for fracking
Deletehas fueled the shortage and price increases.
Believe me I'm not anit-fracking or anti-oil and count our blessings we have such resources in Canada...but plans are underway to reverse the one and only propane pipeline Kinder Morgan's Cochin pipeline to carry propane north into Canada, instead of south into the Midwest, to supply fracking in the Bakken.
What has me upset is something that happened to someone I know whose 87 year old mother got left hanging lately at -30C with no propane heating fuel....and no hope of getting any from her regular supplier....lucky someone within the family was hooked up with a propane guy with another company and their tanks got hooked up to "save" her. Not funny elderly people living alone in the Canadian winter with no heat.
Have a nice day!
"...Not funny elderly people living alone in the Canadian winter with no heat."
ReplyDeleteFor sure. And by spreading the lie that it was "transportation problems" that caused the shortage, Canada's media and the propane fuels association are ensuring that the real problems (inadequate reserves, short-term greed, and green stupidity) will never be addressed.