DOE - Power Art Power Art Propane Back to the Kidzone Power Art Home Page Back to the List of Contestants Propane represents less than 1.7 percent of U.S. energy use. It wasn't discovered until 1912 when people were trying to find a way to store gasoline.
Propane comes from natural gas and petroleum wells.
A government scientist named Dr. Walter Snelling found that some gases could be changed into liquid and stored under pressure, taking up less space. A one-gallon tank can hold 270 gallons of propane gas. Soon after his discovery, propane was heating American homes. Propane appliances include ranges, ovens, space heaters, furnaces and air conditioners. Millions of backyard cooks use barbecue grills powered by propane gas.