Propane Fuels America: Delaware

January 10, 2022 By Carly Bemer

LP Gas’ yearlong Propane Fuels America series takes a deep dive into how each state benefits from the propane industry. Here’s our report on Delaware.

Total odorized propane demand (2019): 53 million gallons

U.S. rank for gallons sold: T-44

Gallon sales trend: Delaware sold 39 million gallons of propane in 2017 and 53 million gallons in 2019, an increase of 36 percent.

Census region/division gallons: South: 2.61 billion/South Atlantic: 1.37 billion

Propane autogas school buses/districts and contractors: 212/24

Sussex County is Delaware’s largest in terms of residential propane gallons sold. Photo: Robert Kirk/E+/Getty Image

Market Pointers

⦁ The residential market accounted for 53 percent of Delaware’s total gallon sales in 2019. Of the state’s three counties, Sussex County takes up the largest market share with 24 percent of homes using propane as its primary heating source in 2019.

⦁ Sharp Energy was named a 2021 Top Retailer by LP Gas and is headquartered in Georgetown, Delaware. The company has provided propane services for four-plus decades on the Delmarva Peninsula.

⦁ A main terminal for the Mid-Atlantic region is located in Delaware City, Delaware, not far from Philadelphia. According to the Propane Education & Research Council, Delaware produced 15 million gallons of odorized propane in 2018.

⦁ Forty-seven percent of Delaware’s forklifts were fueled by propane in 2019, ranking the state at 15th nationwide for propane forklift penetration.

⦁ The Mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, has borne a driver shortage that existed prior to 2020 but was exacerbated by the pandemic. To assist with workforce development efforts, the Mid Atlantic Propane Gas Association utilizes the Vets2Techs group to help member companies find veterans who are looking for long-term industry careers

“If you ask a lot of our members, the average age of their drivers is 50-something years old. So they know that, at some point soon, there’s probably going to be a crisis.” – Jonathan Williams, executive director, MAPGA

Fast facts

State association affiliation: Mid Atlantic Propane Gas Association (MAPGA)/mapga.org

Programs: MAPGA extended its appliance rebate program last year to include rebates for the safe installation of water heaters, furnaces and hearth products. It also offers CETP training during propane’s offseason so employees can earn all required certifications for handling propane.

Marquee events in 2021-22: MAPGA hosts three meetings annually. In 2021, the association held its summer meeting in person but opted for a virtual format for the fall event due to a rise of coronavirus cases in the region. MAPGA hopes to hold all three meetings in person in 2022.

Before COVID-19: The propane industry in Maryland had contributed more than $794 million to the 2018 state economy. It’s too early to assess COVID-19’s impact on the state’s gross domestic product.

What’s the weather?

Average temperature (2020): 58.1 degrees F

Annual heating degree-days five-year average (2015-19): 4,293
U.S. average: 4,090

Sources: Propane Education & Research Council’s U.S. National and State Propane Market Profiles; Annual Retail Propane Sales Report; propane.com; Mid Atlantic Propane Gas Association; U.S. Energy Information Administration’s State Energy Profiles