Propane School Buses
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) reported in 2001 that there are approximately 2,675 alternative fuel school buses operated by about 130 school districts across the country. The majority is located in California, with large numbers present in Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Arizona. Many of these fleets actively participate in the Department of Energy's Clean Cities Program, which awarded nearly $490,000 for alternative fuel school bus projects in 2001. The typical school bus uses an average of 1,000 gallons of fuel per year. Prominent examples of propane utilization for school bus transportation include:
- In December 2006, Blue Bird introduced its propane-powered Type C Vision school bus featuring CleanFUEL USA's LPI system. The bus has been demonstrated at numerous national and local industry trade shows over the past couple of years, and the company recently announced that school districts were beginning to receive orders in the spring of 2008.
- California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) : California leads the country in the number of AFV school buses. The SCAQMD Clean On-Road School Buses Rule requires all new school buses purchased or leased to operate on alternative fuels. Buses may also be retrofitted with a California Air Resources Board (CARB)-certified control device to reduce toxic air and criteria pollutant emissions.
- Northside School District (NSD) in Texas: The NSD, encompassing approximately 360 square miles in northwest Texas, transports 32,000 students and logs nearly 8 million miles annually on propane-powered school buses. The district has been steadily converting school buses and transportation service vehicles to propane since 1980. By the end of the 2000/2001school year, 94 percent of its 472 school buses were using propane in either dedicated or bi-fuel configurations.
- Dallas County Schools in Texas: Since 2000, the district has converted approximately half of its 1,200 buses to propane. Of the seven service centers housing its school buses, five include propane refueling stations. Dallas County Schools estimates that in 2001, 1.5 million gallons of gasoline and diesel were displaced through its use of propane.
- Oregon's Portland School District: The district converted its buses from gasoline to propane in the early 1980's. Since the conversion, the district has saved an estimated $155,800 annually on fuel (Source: http://www.amistadpropane.com/onmove.html ).
States with Significant Numbers of
Alternative-Fueled School Buses (in blue)
Source: Propane Education & Research Council
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