The State of Energy · Rocky Mountain Propane Association

Tom buys a Tesla... for research

·32 min·1 clip

A 150-mile trip turns into repeated charging stops, a hotel plug-in, and a final home arrival with 1% battery left.

1. The State of Energy episode “Tom buys a Tesla... for research” centers on Tom Clark’s real-world Tesla experiment and the show’s propane policy argument. 2. Randy Witt hosts with Tom Clark, who is identified as Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Propane Association and speaks from that role throughout the episode. 3. The episode asks whether a Tesla test drive, a propane home build, and new federal energy orders change how Tom thinks about everyday energy choices. 4. Tom says the propane home-builder incentive was renewed, applications open March 1st, and builders can receive up to $1,500 per home for adding propane appliances. 5. He explains that the program applies to new construction and remodels, and says last year about $2 million went out to support propane use. 6. Randy and Tom say the offer is nationwide, not limited to the Rocky Mountain area, and direct listeners to propane.com/PCRP and thestateofenergy.com. 7. The episode moves to their Zip Kit home in Garden City, Utah, which Tom says was built in about three days after the walls, roof, windows, and interior framing arrived in panels. 8. Tom says the house took about four years to get moving because of property-development problems and a homeowners association process in Garden City. 9. He says the finished house will use propane for the water heater, furnace, fireplace, stove, clothes dryer, outdoor cooking, and a generator. 10. Tom and Randy say the home is intended as a showcase for affordable housing and cleaner energy in an area they describe as coal-powered and high-carbon. 11. The Metsa sponsor segment turns into a detailed joke about propane tanks being built from premium North American materials and certified by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 12. Randy and Tom say they will thank Robert Kenney, Metsa’s CEO, again at a meeting and in Reno, which gives the sponsor read a personal local link. 13. The conversation then shifts to President Trump’s executive orders, beginning with “delivering emergency price relief for American families and defeating the cost of living crisis.” 14. Tom argues that emissions restrictions, climate policies, and electrify-everything mandates can add about $50,000 per household through higher costs for concrete, lumber, windows, roofing, and insulation. 15. Randy and Tom say they are not anti-electric, anti-EV, anti-solar, anti-wind, anti-nuclear, or anti-hydro, but they think the transition moved too fast. 16. The second executive order they discuss is “unleashing American energy,” which they connect to eliminating the electric vehicle mandate and not forcing California-style EV sales rules. 17. Tom’s EV update becomes the most detailed story as he says the Ford Mach-E felt cheap inside but was very quick, while the Tesla felt cleaner and more like an Android phone than a traditional car. 18. He says buying the Tesla felt unusual because there were no salesmen, the purchase happened on a phone, and the car had to be picked up at a different location. 19. The episode has a conversational, joking tone with fast back-and-forth banter, sponsor riffs, and repeated callbacks to propane, prices, and vehicle charging. 20. Listeners who follow home energy, propane appliances, EV ownership, or Utah policy fights will get the most out of it, while listeners wanting a tightly edited car review may skip it.

As heard by us

A blunt, practical discussion of propane incentives, building costs, and electrification pressure.

The episode stays close to the ground: propane policy, homebuilding costs, and the push toward electrification. Randy Witt and Tom Clark keep returning to practical examples, and the renewed home builder incentive with the March 1 application date gives the talk a clear…

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want policy talk about propane incentives, home-building costs, and a cold-weather EV-bus detour.

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