Propane Fuels America: Wyoming

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 Wyoming.

Total odorized propane demand (2019): 65 million gallons

U.S. rank for gallons sold: 42

Gallon sales trend: Gallon sales are on their way up after marketers sold 54 million gallons in 2017 and 58 million in 2018. That 20 percent growth since 2017 is due in part to improved data reporting by the industry, says Tom Clark of the Rocky Mountain Propane Association.

Census region/division gallons: West: 1.71 billion/Mountain: 803 million

Propane autogas school buses/districts and contractors: 24/2

Market pointers 

⦁ A large energy-producing state with a small population – the smallest in the U.S., in fact, with about 579,000 residents. It produces 15 times more energy than it consumes.

Wyoming’s biggest industry is energy-related mining and minerals extraction. Photo: RiverNorthPhotography/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

⦁ The low population contributes to Wyoming ranking near the bottom for propane consumption when compared to other states. Natural gas is the most widely used home heating fuel, found in six of 10 households.

⦁ Wyoming has been the top coal-producing state since 1986, accounting for about 40 percent of all coal mined in the U.S. in 2018 and supporting industrial demand for energy. The industrial sector is the largest energy consumer in the state followed by transportation consumption.

⦁ Wyoming’s substantial livestock production presents an ample opportunity for many farmers to increase their usage of propane via the Propane Farm Incentive Program, according to the Propane Education & Research Council.

⦁ Campbell County in the northeast part of the state presents an opportunity to increase conversion of existing diesel buses to propane.

Fast facts

State association affiliation: Rocky Mountain Propane Association (RMPA)/rmpropane.org

Programs: The RMPA consumer rebate program allows $200 per propane appliance and two appliances per home. Its focus is on replacing electric water heaters with propane-fueled water heaters and wood-burning stoves with propane stoves. The association also holds Certified Employee Training Program classes and promotes propane through a consumer campaign. The campaign utilizes an association podcast called The State of Energy (thestateofenergy.com) and offers propane retailers a way to promote their companies on talk radio shows.

Marquee events in 2021: RMPA is a partner at the Western Propane Trade Show & Convention in Reno, Nevada. Spring meeting March 24-26 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. (Check with the association for details and any changes due to COVID-19.)

Before COVID-19: The propane industry in Wyoming had contributed $356 million to the 2018 state economy. It’s too early to assess COVID-19’s impact on the state’s gross domestic product.

“A ton of fracking in Wyoming and hot oil rigs that use a lot of propane. That’s why you see our Wyoming numbers more than Utah, but Utah has four times the people. So, they use a lot of propane for gas and oil production.” – Tom Clark, executive director, RMPA

What’s the weather?

Average temperature (2019): 40.4 degrees F

Annual heating degree-days five-year average (2015-19): 7,676
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; Rocky Mountain Propane Association; U.S. Energy Information Administration’s State Energy Profiles