As Texas faces ongoing grid reliability challenges amid extreme weather and rapid growth in data centers and critical facilities, a previously overlooked vulnerability is gaining attention: diesel fuel degradation in backup generator systems. Whit Runion, founder of Fuel Perfect, LLC, explained during an interview on The Building Texas Show that while most facilities maintain generator engines rigorously, the fuel itself is often ignored 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 dropped dramatically, creating new vulnerabilities inside storage tanks that can remain undetected until a generator is needed most. "Diesel doesn't fail loudly," Runion explained. "It fails silently—through water, particulate, and microbial growth that clogs filters and shuts engines down." This silent failure mechanism presents particular concern for hospitals, utilities, nursing homes, data centers, and public infrastructure statewide that depend on backup power during emergencies.
The conversation highlighted how fuel polishing—a process likened to dialysis for diesel—removes contaminants using filtration, centrifugal separation, and magnetic conditioning, restoring fuel quality without replacement. This 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 available. The full interview is available on YouTube as part of The Building Texas Show, a statewide interview series highlighting the people, systems, and ideas shaping Texas' future.
Host Justin McKenzie connected the fuel quality issue to broader Texas infrastructure challenges, including lessons learned from Winter Storm Uri, the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers, and 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 risks that extend beyond immediate power concerns.
A lesser-known reality emerged during the discussion: brand-new generators are not immune to fuel contamination problems. 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. This revelation underscores how fuel quality issues can affect infrastructure investments regardless of equipment age or maintenance protocols.
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 noted. "Preparedness isn't just owning a generator—it's knowing it will work when everything else doesn't."
The episode surfaces practical considerations for how infrastructure risk is evolving in Texas and why fuel maintenance is becoming a core component of emergency readiness, economic resilience, and public safety. As Texas continues to experience population growth and industrial expansion, the reliability of backup power systems takes on increased importance for protecting critical services during grid instability events that have become more frequent in recent years.
