Fuel Polishing Explained: Protecting Texas Generators & Critical Infrastructure

In this episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie sits down with Whit Runion, founder of Fuel Perfect to unpack an often-overlooked but mission-critical topic: diesel fuel risk.

Whit explains how fuel polishing works, why diesel fuel no longer lasts like it used to, and how contaminated fuel can silently disable generators at hospitals, data centers, utilities, nursing homes, and other critical facilities across Texas.

With increased strain on the Texas power grid, lessons learned from Winter Storm Uri, and explosive growth in data centers and backup generation, this conversation highlights why fuel maintenance is now infrastructure risk management.

Topics Covered:

• What fuel polishing is and how it works

• Why diesel fuel shelf life changed after 2014

• Hidden risks inside generator fuel tanks

• Generator failures caused by water, particulate, and “diesel bug”

• Hospitals, data centers, utilities, and critical facilities

• Why fuel maintenance is cheaper than fuel replacement

• New generators vs. old generators—where failures really happen

• Texas data center growth and backup power demand

Learn why fuel is expensive to buy—but relatively inexpensive to protect.

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