As Texas continues to grapple with grid reliability, extreme weather, and unprecedented growth in data centers and critical facilities, one overlooked risk is drawing increased attention: diesel fuel quality.

In a new episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie sits down with Whit Runion, founder of Fuel Perfect, LLC, to explore how fuel degradation quietly threatens backup generators across hospitals, utilities, nursing homes, data centers, and public infrastructure statewide.

Runion explains that while most facilities rigorously maintain generator engines, fuel itself is often ignored—despite accounting for one-third of what makes an engine run. Since a 2014 EPA mandate shifted diesel to ultra-low sulfur fuel, shelf life has dropped dramatically, creating new vulnerabilities inside storage tanks that can go undetected until a generator is needed most.

“Diesel doesn’t fail loudly,” Runion explains. “It fails silently—through water, particulate, and microbial growth that clogs filters and shuts engines down.”

The conversation highlights how fuel polishing—a process likened to dialysis for diesel—removes contaminants using filtration, centrifugal separation, and magnetic conditioning, restoring fuel quality without replacement. The approach offers a cost-effective alternative to draining and replacing fuel, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars and create dangerous downtime windows with no backup power.

McKenzie connects the issue to broader Texas infrastructure challenges, including lessons learned from Winter Storm Uri, the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers, and the increasing reliance on diesel generation to backstop grid demand. In some facilities, backup systems now include dozens of generators and hundreds of thousands of gallons of stored fuel—raising both financial and operational risk.

The episode also surfaces a lesser-known reality: brand-new generators are not immune. Fuel tanks fabricated off-site and transported across long distances often arrive contaminated with moisture and debris, sometimes causing failures on first startup of expensive new equipment.

Fuel Perfect’s work spans the I-35 corridor and beyond, serving hospitals, utilities, data centers, assisted living facilities, and industrial sites. Beyond service delivery, Runion emphasizes education—working with facilities teams, engineers, and risk managers to integrate fuel maintenance into annual preparedness planning.

“This is about resilience,” McKenzie notes. “Preparedness isn’t just owning a generator—it’s knowing it will work when everything else doesn’t.”

The full interview offers a rare, practical look at how infrastructure risk is evolving in Texas—and why fuel maintenance is becoming a core part of emergency readiness, economic resilience, and public safety.

The episode is now available on YouTube as part of The Building Texas Show, a statewide interview series highlighting the people, systems, and ideas shaping Texas’ future.

The Building Texas Show is a long-form interview series hosted by Justin McKenzie, spotlighting Texas leaders, founders, mayors, and innovators shaping the state’s economy, infrastructure, and communities. The show explores how systems—natural and human—support growth, resilience, and opportunity across Texas.

Watch the full episode on YouTube and like and subscribe for more conversations on infrastructure, economic development, and the future of Texas.

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