As Texas contends with grid reliability challenges, extreme weather events, and rapid expansion of data centers and critical facilities, attention is turning to a previously underestimated vulnerability: diesel fuel quality in backup generators. In a recent episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie interviewed Whit Runion, founder of Fuel Perfect, LLC, about how fuel degradation threatens emergency power systems across hospitals, utilities, nursing homes, data centers, and public infrastructure throughout the state.
Runion explained that while most facilities maintain generator engines rigorously, the fuel itself is frequently neglected despite accounting for one-third of what makes an engine function. Since a 2014 Environmental Protection Agency mandate shifted diesel to ultra-low sulfur fuel, shelf life has decreased significantly, creating new vulnerabilities inside storage tanks that often remain undetected until generators are needed most during emergencies. "Diesel doesn't fail loudly," Runion stated. "It fails silently—through water, particulate, and microbial growth that clogs filters and shuts engines down."
The conversation highlighted fuel polishing as a solution, describing it as a process similar to dialysis for diesel that removes contaminants using filtration, centrifugal separation, and magnetic conditioning to restore fuel quality without replacement. This approach provides a cost-effective alternative to draining and replacing fuel, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars and create dangerous downtime windows without backup power availability. The discussion connected 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 support 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 risks. The episode revealed that even brand-new generators are not immune to fuel contamination problems, as fuel tanks fabricated off-site and transported across long distances often arrive contaminated with moisture and debris, sometimes causing failures during the 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 throughout Texas.
Beyond service delivery, Runion emphasized education efforts, working with facilities teams, engineers, and risk managers to integrate fuel maintenance into annual preparedness planning. "This is about resilience," McKenzie noted. "Preparedness isn't just owning a generator—it's knowing it will work when everything else doesn't." The full interview offers practical insights into how infrastructure risk is evolving in Texas and why fuel maintenance is becoming essential to emergency readiness, economic resilience, and public safety. The episode is available on YouTube as part of The Building Texas Show, a statewide interview series highlighting the people, systems, and ideas shaping Texas' future. Watch the full episode on https://www.youtube.com for more conversations on infrastructure, economic development, and the future of Texas.
