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Bill’s Commentary:

“True story”

Bill’s Commentary:

“Grizzly checks in regarding your best power choice options when things go sideways.”

Fuels for Standby Generators (long term)

In order of preference for long term usage and storage.

1. Propane (LPG)

This is by far the best choice for standby generators for “when the lights go out”. Propane has no expiration date; does not lose potency or octane; doesn’t collect water from condensation which in turn can grow algae inside the tank leading to clogged filters and fuel lines; large propane tanks last indefinitely.

Cons:

Less efficient per gallon than diesel, especially in extreme cold.

2. Diesel

Diesel generators will burn less fuel than propane especially in extreme cold so you’ll get more hours of power per gallon.

Typically maintenance could be less frequent in a diesel generator vs propane but that’s very debatable with new diesel engines. What I see is new diesel engines are getting worse, requiring DEF (which has its own storage issues), are very sensitive to slightly dirty fuel, have regeneration issues that come along with all Tier 4 emissions requirements. While propane generators seem to be getting better with longer warranties and service intervals.

Older diesel engines (no Tier 4) are great and will serve you well for long term standby generator needs but the degradation of the fuel should be a major concern. There are numerous products to help preserve the fuel to minimize this degradation (PRI-D, some algaecides, Howe’s conditioner, etc) but when reliable power is needed several years down the road perhaps, or for many months of run time after the lights go out, worrying about the usefulness of what’s in the fuel tank is a chance I’m not willing to take.

3. Gasoline

Gas suffers from many of the same issues as diesel without any of the upsides, like longer run times.

Gasoline degrades even more quickly than diesel. Gasoline also poses a greater risk of fire than diesel because of its lower flash point.

The only upside of a gasoline powered generator is they are cheap and are easy to run for short term use. But any use for more than a few hours or over night, gasoline powered generators aren’t a good choice.

Natural gas is a horrible option because it requires dependence on a third party supplier that will probably not be operating after the lights go out. So we won’t really even go into that.

As always, it’s best to prepare as much as possible for a scenario where all generators will run out of fuel, because in all likelihood, they will. Because of this, try to also continue to store up hand tools and become familiar with the use and care of them; gain knowledge of canning and food preservation to avoid the need for freezers; develop water storage and other water sources to avoid dependence on a well pump; store up kerosene lanterns, fuel and wicks to avoid dependence on electric lighting. Get familiar with wood cookstoves and ovens and store up plenty of wood (which will also give you some experience with some hand tools!), to reduce dependency on electric stoves and ovens.

You’ll notice probably that I’ve not discussed solar. I have several solar generators and use them to charge batteries for power tools (yes I use those often and have a huge supply of batteries but they too will eventually die if the lights are out long enough).

I see these portable solar generators as fantastic renewable power sources for a freezer or two or any number of things to supplement the main standby generator to get more KW’s per gallon by reducing the load.

Full solar power ?

I’m not experienced in that field to want to discuss it, so I won’t. Perhaps it’s a very viable solution and worth looking into.

As always, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Keep faith in God that He wins in the end and will be with us no matter how dark the days may appear. Develop solid networks of like-minded people to help each other alleviate each others shortcomings. Good communities, neighborhoods or valleys of good people can do way more than any of us realize and I have a suspicion we just might find out how much we will need to do together.

Bill’s Commentary:

“Two things; first, paying less interest on our national debt is not a bad thing. Second and most important, capturing the Fed and driving “official rates” lower does not guarantee lower market rates. The last time the Fed cut rates by 1%, bond market rates WENT UP 1%! If this happens again this time when the Fed cuts, the world will see the US in a VERY different light. Do you remember bond market “vigilantes”? There is no risk premium at all in US Treasuries when in fact there are huge risks…the surprise in credit markets will ultimately be skyrocketing interest rates while financial markets implode.”

Behind Trump’s Bid for Fed Dominance Lies a Dangerous Debt Idea

(Bloomberg) — As Donald Trump ramps up efforts to control the Federal Reserve, investors worry he’ll use central bank tools to fix something that’s not supposed to be a central bank problem: America’s ballooning debt bills.

Trump said Tuesday he’s ready for a legal fight over his attempt to oust Fed Governor Lisa Cook, and looking forward to having a “majority” on the central bank’s board. That could advance the president’s campaign for lower interest rates, which he says will save the country “hundreds of billions.”