More Than 20 School Districts in Pennsylvania Choose Propane School Buses for Environmental and Economic Benefits
Funder: U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office Clean Cities & Communities
Location: Pennsylvania
Fleet: School Districts Adopting Propane School Buses
Narrative:
Working in collaboration with Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance for Clean Transportation (EP-ACT), Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities has worked with more than 20 school districts throughout Pennsylvania to deploy approximately 1,000 propane school buses, making the state third in the nation for the number of alternative fuel buses on the road. Thousands of students have ridden these buses in the five years since they were deployed.
"These propane buses have reduced 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year across the districts," said Tony Bandiero, executive director of EP-ACT.
When speaking to stakeholders, the coalitions emphasize the key benefits of propane fuel, including increased energy security, readily available infrastructure, improved fuel economy and performance, and positive impacts on public health and the environment. Bandiero and Price emphasize how through these and other benefits, propane school buses benefit children, the environment, and school district budgets.
Outputs & Outcomes:
Rick Price, executive director of PRCC, and Bandiero began working with school districts 10 years ago to increase awareness of propane school buses and identify deployment opportunities.
The Clean Cities coalitions continue to educate fleets on the benefits of propane school buses—the increased visibility of the buses operating in other districts and opportunities to ride them is helping to spur further adoption. To provide these opportunities, the coalitions hold ride and drives, as well as workshops on funding opportunities, the technology, operations, and maintenance. The fleet of propane buses currently in operation has raised awareness of the technology and its benefits while spurring adoption by other school districts in the state.
The return on investment for propane buses makes adopting them attractive. The purchase price of a propane bus is often more than the price of buying a diesel bus, but the lower total cost of ownership for propane buses provides a stronger return on investment. In Pennsylvania, the total cost of ownership for propane buses is around $143,000 less than diesel school buses (based on an analysis using the Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic
Transportation [AFLEET] tool developed by Argonne National Laboratory). Propane buses also can be competitive with diesel buses when factoring in the costs associated with maintenance and emissions controls on a diesel vehicle.
Propane buses can be even more cost competitive compared to diesel when factoring in grants or incentives that are available to school districts. School districts can use the Laws and Incentives search tool on the Alternative Fuels Data Center to find relevant incentives in their area. The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program also helps potential adopters fund their alternative fuel vehicle projects and purchases.
Propane school buses offer a beneficial solution for many school districts looking to replace their diesel buses and adopt cleaner, healthier solutions.
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