Texas school board leadership had the opportunity to learn about clean, American-made propane autogas at the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Annual Convention recently at the Dallas Convention Center.
The Propane Council of Texas (ProCOT) participated with its awareness campaign, Fueling Texas, to educate participants about the benefits of operating school buses, administrative vehicles and commercial mowers on propane autogas.
“Propane autogas is a smart choice for Texas schools,” says Jackie Mason, Educational & Marketing Director for the Propane Council of Texas. “Not only does propane lower harmful emissions and reduce fuel costs, but it has a proven safety record in Texas.”
Propane autogas is the most widely used alternative fuel in the world, and ProCOT says school bus fleets that switch to autogas save anywhere from 30 percent to up to half on fuel costs. Propane-powered buses produce less particulate matter, carbon monoxide, NOx, hydrocarbons and greenhouses gas emissions than many school buses on Texas roads today.
There are more than 2,000 propane-powered buses operating in more than 75 Texas school districts, according to ProCOT. Some of these ISDs are benefitting from a 50-cents-per-gallon tax credit through 2013. Thanks to the tax credit, Dallas County Schools – the largest propane-powered school bus fleet in the state – saves about $500,000 annually.
Northside ISD, the second-largest propane autogas bus fleet in Texas, saved around $225,000 with the credit from 2011, and Denton ISD recouped $170,000 in the same year.
Propane commercial mowers can also contribute to additional savings for school districts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that almost 17 million gallons of gasoline are spilled each year refueling lawn equipment. Propane mowers have a closed loop, spill-free refueling system; no spills mean no lost dollars.
For many school districts across the state, operating mowers, school buses and other vehicles on cleaner-burning autogas is a great way to help build greener communities and healthier budgets.
Propane Autogas: Fueling Texas is a public awareness campaign that educates Texans about the benefits of running fleet vehicles and equipment on clean-burning, domestically produced propane autogas. The campaign features a series of statewide autogas presentations and road shows to provide fleet operators, drivers and community members a hands-on experience with clean autogas technology. To find out more about propane autogas, visit FuelingTexas.com.
