Ever wondered where that electricity to watch your favorite show comes from when the power lines aren’t working, or how that propane keeps your grill going after the tank seems empty? The secret lies in the often-overlooked world of energy storage. Let’s explore how we capture energy in different forms and store it for those moments we need it most.

Future Batteries

From your laptop to a neighborhood back-up, batteries are the go-to for storing electricity. As battery technology evolves, bigger and better versions are transforming how we use energy. Homeowners with solar panels can now store the excess energy they generate for later use. Power grids are increasingly incorporating large-scale battery systems to store energy from renewable sources like wind and solar, smoothing out those times when the sun isn’t shining or the winds are calm.

Hydroelectric Storage

Pumped hydroelectric storage is the veteran of large-scale energy storage. This clever system uses excess electricity on the grid to pump water uphill into a reservoir. When demand peaks, the water is released downhill, flowing through turbines like a mini hydroelectric dam to generate electricity. It’s a reliable form of storing gigawatts of energy.

Energy Underground

Natural gas isn’t just used directly as fuel; storing it for later is vital. To handle seasonal fluctuations in demand, massive underground storage facilities are used. These are often depleted oil and gas fields or naturally occurring salt caverns. They act as vast energy reservoirs, supplying gas during periods of high use.

Compressed Air

This technology involves using excess electricity to compress air into underground caverns or above-ground tanks. When energy is needed, the compressed air is released, driving a turbine to generate electricity. It’s a form of large-scale storage with exciting potential for storing renewable energy.

Propane and Other Fuels

Homes off the natural gas grid often rely on propane for heating and cooking. Propane tanks, those familiar white cylinders, store this compressed gas. Similarly, tanks are used for storing other household fuels such as heating oil.

Flywheels, Springs and Supercapacitors

The world of energy storage is full of innovation. Flywheels store energy as kinetic energy in a rotating mass, providing short bursts of power. Gravitational storage systems use weights that are lifted and lowered, storing and releasing potential energy. Supercapacitors can store and release energy bursts very quickly, perfect for smoothing out power fluctuations.

The Future of Stored Power

Energy storage is vital for transitioning to renewable energy sources and building a more resilient grid. The next generation of storage technologies could involve things like hydrogen, converting energy produced by renewables into storable fuel. Thermal energy storage, where excess energy is used to heat and cool materials, is another option, particularly when linked to district heating systems.

Pro-Gas | We’ll Keep Your Lights On

Storing energy, whether in large-scale facilities or those propane tanks for backyard grills, prioritizes safety. Regulations and careful engineering ensure these systems operate reliably and minimize risks. 

Energy storage might seem invisible in our daily lives, but it’s the unsung hero of a modern energy system. As innovations continue, we can expect a future where stored energy helps us power our lives sustainably and reliably.

Energy storage isn’t just about batteries and renewables. It’s a world where tried-and-tested methods, like storing natural gas and propane, ensure the reliability that modern life demands. Alongside exciting innovations, these reliable energy sources play a crucial role in keeping our homes powered every day of the year.

Pro-Gas understands the value of reliable energy. Whether it’s ensuring warmth during those cold snaps or keeping your summer cookouts fueled, we’re committed to supplying energy you can count on. Learn more about our propane services and the advantages of natural gas by reaching out today. Together, we can keep your lights on — and your life powered up!

The holidays are approaching, and it’s time to start planning for family gatherings and watching classic holiday movies. One of our personal favorites is the Jimmy Stewart film, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In the film, the main character, George gets a special look at what life would be like if he weren’t around, and the consensus is, not great!

 

We thought it’d be fun to get into the holiday spirit and show how the time filled with joy, togetherness, and celebration just wouldn’t mix without oil and gas production facilities. 

 

As we think about decorating our homes, buying gifts for our loved ones, and prepping dinner with family and friends, it’s easy to get caught up in the magic of it all. But behind the scenes, a vital resource makes the holiday hustle and bustle possible – oil and gas. 

No Natural Gas, No Fun

It can get pretty chilly during Texas’s winter season. In fact, many people rely on the fact that natural gas storage exists as an emergency remedy if a winter outage occurs and gas becomes a prime energy source.

 

From the moment we wake up on a crisp winter morning, oil and gas power the holiday season. Most of us rely on natural gas to warm our homes against the winter chill and get us ready for a day of activity. 

 

Between enjoying holiday lights and charging devices to make memories, the electricity used to make the holidays great is likely generated at power plants fueled by natural gas, coal, or petroleum. So, if our industry disappeared for a season, so would a lot of comfortable moments throughout the holidays.

Gas Literally Fuels Our Intentions

 

Imagine having to walk or bike to every holiday shopping event. You’d really have to rely on Santa to bring all of the gifts under the tree without oil and gas!

 

When it’s time to head out for a day of Christmas shopping, oil enables transportation around town. Gasoline produced from crude oil powers the cars, buses, trains, and other vehicles that take us to the shops and bring us home again, loaded with gifts. 

 

Even online shopping depends on deliveries made possible by petroleum-powered planes, trains, and trucks. 

 

Let’s also not forget that gift cards and holiday cash are enabled by oil-derived plastics used to make credit cards and manufacture ATMs. 

Imagine Not Being Home for the Holidays!

Yikes! We don’t want to put ourselves in the shoes of many holiday movie main characters. However, the travels that bring far-flung families together every holiday season wouldn’t be possible without oil and gas.  

 

So many dinner table seats would be empty, and so few core memories would get made.

 

Refined oil fuels make automobile road trips, domestic flights, and international air travel possible. And when heading over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house, oil helps deliver the horsepower in snowmobiles, four-wheelers, snow plows, and other vehicles that transport us there.

Cold Holiday Dinners Would Be Commonplace

Without drill sites and production facilities, the special hot foods we associate with the holidays could eventually become a tradition of the past.

 

Aside from being unable to bake Grandma’s favorite cookies in your gas oven, there would be even bigger problems in the commercial sectors if gas wasn’t available.

 

The farm equipment that harvests crops, the trucks that transport them, and the machinery that processes and packages our canned cranberries, vegetables, hams, turkeys, and other holiday staples are powered and manufactured with petroleum products. 

The Holidays Just Wouldn’t Jingle Without Oil and Gas

Even beloved holiday traditions like trimming the tree, watching classic movies, and leaving cookies for Santa wouldn’t be possible without hydrocarbons. 

 

Christmas tree ornaments, twinkling lights, festive decor, and holiday baking all involve materials derived from petrochemicals. Holiday classics like “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the film we based this blog on, were recorded on petroleum-based film stock. 

 

And Santa’s late-night travels are powered by reindeer fuel, which science tells us has a surprising amount in common with gasoline!

Keep the Holidays Cheery with Pro-Gas Services.

This holiday season, as we gather with loved ones, experience the joy of giving and receiving gifts, and make memories to carry into the new year, we can pause to appreciate the essential role that oil and natural gas play in making it all happen. 

 

The petroleum industry helps power the experiences and traditions that make the holidays special. 

 

At Pro-Gas Services, we believe energy abundance is something to be thankful for this time of year, as oil and natural gas keep us warm, comfortable, fed, and connected during the most wonderful time of the year.

 

If you manage a facility or well site and want to make it its best, contact us today to learn more about our equipment availability and nationwide services.