The writer of a recent commentary, Tucker Perkins, eagerly pointed out benefits of his favorite energy source, propane, while criticizing solar, wind and electric cars, natural gas, gasoline, diesel and just about everything else (“Energy security will matter most in 2023,” Dec. 29, 2022).
One might ask, “If propane is so great, why aren’t we all driving propane cars?” The answer is that propane has to be delivered to your hardware store or to your home, under pressure.
My favorite is solar and wind power charging up my home, and my electric vehicles. The solar electricity costs the same year after year, as solar is free, and the cost of installing new solar panels at your house or building is getting cheaper every year. The same is true of wind power, cheaper all the time. Both solar and wind emit no air pollution, including global-warming gases. Both use domestic sources of power instead of importing oil and other carbon fuels that hurt our climate. Made in the USA, our solar and wind power don’t give money to cruel oil dictators like Russia and Saudi Arabia.
My electric car uses fuel that costs the equivalent of $1.16 per gallon on average. No fossil fuel, propane or gasoline can beat that. I also save money on maintenance — no oil changes or muffler repairs, like on the gas cars I used to own. Best of all, I know that I can get my energy for my car and home right off my own (solar) roof. And, when we get lovely offshore wind power in Delaware, I will buy some of that, too.
Charlie Garlow
President, Delaware Electric Vehicle Association
Rehoboth Beach
