Silent Threat: Degraded Diesel Fuel Puts Texas Backup Generators at Risk

In Texas, where grid reliability remains a critical concern amid extreme weather events and explosive growth in data centers, a silent threat to emergency preparedness is gaining attention: diesel fuel quality. A new episode of The Building Texas Show on YouTube, hosted by Justin McKenzie, features Whit Runion, founder of Fuel Perfect, LLC, who explains how degraded diesel fuel quietly jeopardizes backup generators across hospitals, utilities, nursing homes, data centers, and public infrastructure. Runion highlights that while facilities often maintain generator engines meticulously, the fuel itself—accounting for one-third of what makes an engine run—is frequently overlooked, especially since a 2014 EPA mandate for ultra-low sulfur diesel dramatically reduced its shelf life, creating vulnerabilities in storage tanks that can go undetected until a crisis hits.

Runion describes diesel failure as a silent process, where water, particulate, and microbial growth clog filters and shut down engines when backup power is most needed. The conversation introduces fuel polishing—a process likened to dialysis for diesel—which removes contaminants through filtration, centrifugal separation, and magnetic conditioning to restore fuel quality without the costly and risky alternative of draining and replacing fuel, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars and create dangerous downtime windows. McKenzie connects this issue to broader Texas infrastructure challenges, including lessons from Winter Storm Uri, the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers, and increasing reliance on diesel generation to backstop grid demand, noting that some facilities now have dozens of generators and hundreds of thousands of gallons of stored fuel, amplifying financial and operational risks.

The episode reveals that even brand-new generators are not immune, as fuel tanks fabricated off-site and transported long distances often arrive contaminated, potentially causing failures on first startup. Fuel Perfect's work spans the I-35 corridor and beyond, serving a wide range of critical facilities, with Runion emphasizing education to integrate fuel maintenance into annual preparedness planning. McKenzie underscores that true resilience involves not just owning a generator but ensuring it will function when everything else fails, making fuel maintenance a core component of emergency readiness, economic resilience, and public safety in Texas. The full interview, available on YouTube as part of The Building Texas Show, offers a practical look at evolving infrastructure risks and the growing importance of proactive fuel management.