It seems as if three or four times a year, a storm knocks out our power, leaving tens of thousands of families without energy for days or even weeks.
More than anything, this has exposed the fragility of the nation’s electric grid.
That’s why it’s disturbing that many state governments—including New York and Connecticut—are rushing ahead on an “electrify everything” path to reduce carbon emissions. This includes giving people incentives to give up their existing heating systems and convert to electric heat pumps.
But heat pump conversions are expensive and do not work very efficiently when the weather gets cold. Plus, electricity is not a clean fuel. Electricity production generates the second-largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. More than 63% of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas.*
At Westmore Fuel, we believe we must take aggressive steps to address climate change—and we’re doing that! Our company has invested a lot in converting our fuel from traditional heating oil to Bioheat® fuel—and we did that years ago.
The problem is that however well-intended the “all electric” movement is, it is relying on breakthroughs that have not yet happened to an electric grid that is already unreliable. Consider what will happen when the electric grid is taxed by huge new demand (caused by conversions of cars, buildings, homes and more).
Alternatively, we, and others in the liquid fuels industry, continue to offer a solution that immediately reduces every customer’s carbon footprint dramatically without regressive taxes, additional equipment cost to consumers or overloading the electric grid. We need thoughtful policy that balances the need to address our climate without putting all of our energy eggs in one fragile basket.
Here are five reasons the use of Bioheat® fuel is a game-changer in terms of reducing carbon emissions:
Source: Biodiesel.org
