Business Spotlight: Energy Transfer

​Local Propane Fuels Winter Fun | By Joe McGinn, Vice President, Public and Government Affairs, Energy Transfer

Throughout the winter season, many of us are fortunate enough to relax by the fireplace, travel to visit family and friends, cook and entertain, hit the slopes and take part in other cold-weather fun. Did you know natural gas liquids make all of these activities possible, including propane? Energy Transfer is proud to supply much of the region’s propane from right here in Delaware County at our Marcus Hook Terminal.
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Approximately 5% of homes in the United States rely on propane for heat, not to mention the many businesses and farms that use propane as their primary heating source. Propane has many advantages, such as being portable, clean-burning and affordable. Plus, propane can be used for fireplaces, as its high efficiency offers more heat than a wood-burning fire, without the hassle of collecting or buying firewood.

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Many of us remember the 2014 polar vortex and the propane shortage resulting from it. Combined with a lack of pipeline infrastructure and storage capacity, many of us saw skyrocketing heating bills and fuel constraints. Now, thanks in large part to the Mariner East pipelines and the Marcus Hook Terminal, Pennsylvania has more than enough propane and actually supplies much of the nation’s propane demand, particularly in the states surrounding Pennsylvania.

Throughout the year, an average of 45 propane trucks every day from numerous customers fill up at the Marcus Hook truck racks. This rises to approximately 200 trucks per day during particularly cold weather. Those customers ultimately deliver the product to end users, including residents, schools, hospitals, restaurants, office buildings and more.

With so much propane sold at the truck racks at Marcus Hook, this is great news not only for the increasing number of people switching from fuel oil to propane to heat their homes in the winter, as well as the growing number of bus fleets switching from gasoline to cleaner-burning propane for fuel. It’s also a great economic story for the borough of Marcus Hook and for Delaware County, which both benefit from Energy Transfer tax revenues. That’s not to mention the environmental benefit, as propane is cleaner-burning than many other fuels.

In addition to a heating source, propane and other natural gas liquids are the building blocks used to manufacture so many of the products we rely on for our health and well-being – and also for winter fun.

Skis, snowboards, sleds, boots, jackets and more are all derived from natural gas liquids like the ones we transport through our Mariner East pipeline system to the Marcus Hook Terminal.
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As we gather with family and friends this winter season, remember that natural gas liquids from right here in Delaware County are helping to keep our homes warm and making our favorite activities possible.  

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Author

Joe McGinn, Jr. is the Vice President of Public Affairs at Energy Transfer and serves on the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. A resident of Aston, Joe has spent decades in government and public affairs, working with Sunoco and Energy Transfer in various roles. Additionally, Joe is an Aston Township Commissioner, representing the Second Ward. Joe earned a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania, a bachelor’s degree in English from Columbia University in New York City, a master’s in government administration certificate from Fels Institute of Government, and a certificate in human resource management from Villanova University.