Bert Warner Highlights Cost Savings with Propane, PERC’s Research Program

Saving costs on an underway project, in terms of both capital (CAPEX) and operational expenditures, has always been a primary focus of any developer in the power generation industry. These cost-saving endeavors were discussed frequently at POWERGEN International 2026, with technical sessions and large-scale discussions covering how power can be produced with all-around efficiency.

One such way to cut costs is fuel consideration, and Bert Warner of the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) offered insight on the strategic savings one may achieve with propane. Additionally, in Part 2 of his interview with Turbomachinery International, Warner dove into PERC’s ongoing program: the Alternative Technology Demonstration and Research Program. It gathers data from propane-fired generation projects to evaluate the fuel’s various applications across industry.

TURBO: Can you offer insight on the strategic operational savings to be made when using propane?

Warner: It depends on your application type, but you can deal with regular retailers or wholesalers to achieve some economic value. It’s also about infrastructure costs: What will it cost CAPEX-wise to get started or having to wait? There’s a pretty significant investment in holding still, whereas [propane] can deploy so much quicker. We may have a higher capital cost, but we can get you up and running in a faster timeline to provide some return on investment.

It's an economical advantage and all boils down to power: BTU and kW. If you look at those equivalencies and what you’re paying for electric, diesel, and others, you can do the math. Propane is absolutely economically viable as an energy source.

TURBO: With power demand rapidly increasing, how can propane step up to deliver energy for homes, businesses, and industries?

Warner: Propane is ready. We are swimming in propane and have so much inventory, there’s no need to wait. The step-up may happen more in the field. The specifications and concepts of buildouts must include propane from the start, as opposed to an end-of-the-road solution. It is moving toward a first-choice energy and when we combine speed, economics, green aspects, and the ability to execute so quickly, propane has a significant advantage.