Propane is a colorless, odorless, and non-toxic gas. It is a part of the hydrocarbon family and does not produce soot, and it has a boiling point of -44 degrees Fahrenheit (-42 degrees Celsius). According to the Compressed Gas Association, Dr. Walter Snelling first discovered propane. He built a still to separate gasoline liquid and gaseous compounds, and one of the gases was propane. Today, according to the US Department of Energy, 55% of propane is recovered during the production of natural gas, and 45% is recovered from the production of petroleum in refineries. Propane is then transported under high pressure as a liquid through underground pipelines, railroads, and trucks, and sold to vendors thereafter. The most common uses of propane are cooking, refrigeration, fireplaces, cleaning, heating, and drying clothes. According to the US Energy Information Administration, 43% of propane consumers are either residential or commercial.

Unlike other sources of energy such as petroleum, 90% of the propane that is used in the US is domestically produced, according to Ferrell Autogas. Propane is an effective fuel because it produces less greenhouse gas emissions. For example, water heaters that use propane generate 52% lower greenhouse gas emissions than electric water heaters. Contrarily, there are concerns that propane can leak and thus become a safety hazard. However, there are two solutions to this problem. The first is that most propane is mixed with a pungent gas that makes a propane leak easily detectable. The second is that if propane is left in the atmosphere for a long time, then eventually it naturally oxidizes, and thus no longer is flammable.

Propane, however, is not a solution to all energy problems. First of all, it still generates greenhouse gas emissions in the form of carbon dioxide. Secondly, its use is mostly limited to cooking and heating systems. However, expanding the use of propane in home heating systems, for instance, will be a sound environmental step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.s