Whether you’re looking to curb emissions within your public sector fleet on your own or are under orders to do so, choosing the right alternative fuel can be overwhelming. There are some things you should take into consideration before choosing your fuel type.
When electric isn’t the right fit, at least not yet, school district leaders look toward other green fleet options. For Neosho School District in Missouri, located in the southwest corner of the state, propane has stood out as the winning choice for the past 10 years.
Leading Public Fleet winner Beaverton School District near Portland operates the largest public fleet in Oregon as well as one of the cleanest bus fleets in the nation. Last year, it fully transitioned away from fossil fuels and operates its fleet of 310 school buses on renewable propane, renewable diesel and battery-electric.
Early this year, Blue Bird Corp. expanded its alternative fuels team to build on the company’s offerings in electric and propane-powered student transportation. Blue Bird appointed Steve Whaley and Brad Beauchamp to alternative fuels managers.
When it comes to alternative fuels, there’s a myth that if school transportation directors want to lower emissions to meet sustainability goals, they’re going to have to pay more to do it. It’s often one of the reasons many districts are initially reluctant to consider energy sources besides gasoline or diesel.
For the past decade, school districts have been making changes to their fleets in an effort to provide a cleaner, safer transportation option. Investing in a change like that has required schools to make major decisions about budgets, ease-of-transition and total cost of ownership. The path to zero emissions is wide, but can often come with costs that most districts simply cannot afford.
Autogas is a growing sector of the propane industry — one that’s important to stay informed about as the industry works harder and harder to get more fleets to implement the fuel. Ahead, Derek Rimko, vice president of operations for Superior Energy Systems, and Todd Mouw, executive vice president for ROUSH CleanTech, provide insights into refueling infrastructure, the best talking points in discussions with fleet management, and why this fuel stands out as the superior choice for propane marketers as well.
The upcoming school year could bring another step toward an all-green fleet for the North Penn School District.
School board members heard an update this week on the district transportation department’s budget for 2024-25, including another round of propane-fueled school buses that could be on the way.
A Sunday Green Bus Summit session invited districts with propane and electric school buses to compare the two and share how they are both being used to meet emissions goals.
David Walters, director of autogas business development for session sponsor the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), reviewed the cost and emissions savings that propane has brought districts but noted that many of today’s mandates require zero-emissions vehicles, which means electric school buses (ESBs).
On a recent episode of the “Path to Zero” podcast, I spoke with Christine Obiaya, CEO of Heliogen. Her company uses concentrated solar energy, augmented with artificial intelligence, to create heat and energy storage for a variety of applications. I sat fascinated as she explained how her company’s technology combines with other technology to create green hydrogen.
So why was I, a propane guy, talking with a solar expert about green hydrogen?
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