Propane Council of Texas Touts Opportunities for Cleaner Air with the State’s Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program
Propane is eligible under the newly expanded grant program
This month, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced a grand round of $15.4M for their newly expanded Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program (TNGVGP). The grant program funds the replacement older diesel or gasoline medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles with CNG, LNG and now LPG (propane) vehicles operating in the Clean Transportation Zone, an 83 county area of Texas.
Propane was added to Texas Senate Bill 1731 in the 85th Legislative session since it is Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) and is too homegrown, found right here in Texas.
“The Propane Council of Texas is excited to educate fleets on this new opportunity to add clean-burning propane vehicles on Texas roads,” says Jackie Mason, Education & Marketing Director for the Council.
Propane is a great option for fleets, because it is economical, domestically-produced, widely available fuel, and contributes to cleaner air. The propane industry has engineered a multitude of platforms that are eligible for the program from medium-duty trucks to school buses that government and business fleets as well as school districts who can upgrade, too.
Funding under the Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program varies dependent on the model year of the vehicle, the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and fuel type of the vehicle, the entity is replacing. Click here to download the guidelines.
For more information or to contact the Propane Council of Texas, email info@propanecounciloftexas.org
About the Propane Council of Texas
The Propane Council of Texas (ProCOT) is a 501 (c) 3 and the state arm of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). Our objective is consumer education, highlighting the benefits of home-grown propane and promoting clean-burning propane technologies.
Propane Council of Texas Takes Part in World’s Biggest Earth Day Celebration
The Propane Council of Texas (ProCOT) is proud to represent our national Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) at the Earth Day Texas and National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey, in which PERC is a major sponsor. Odyssey Day is the largest, nationwide event dedicated to promoting the use of and educating people about alternative fuel vehicles and Earth Day Texas is the world’s largest Earth Day celebration.
The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC), Earth Day Texas, and the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities, a U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities coalition joined forces to bring the two events together for one long weekend at Fair Park in Dallas to bring awareness to alternative fuel vehicles and clear air initiatives.
The event kicks off this Thursday, April 19 with National Odyssey Day and an Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Summit. Friday, April 21, 2017 – Sunday, April 23, 2017 marks the Earth Texas Day event where over 150,000 people from the DFW metroplex are expected. Several cleaner-burning propane-powered vehicles (including a school bus, delivery vehicle, pick-up trucks, and SUV) will be featured in the AFV Pavilion located right next to Cotton Bowl Plaza.
“The event will give us a chance to show the public that propane goes beyond the grill,” said Jackie Mason, Education & Marketing Director for the Propane Council of Texas, “That propane autogas is a lower-emitting option in school transportation and for fleets in their communities.”
Propane autogas has been a proven motor fuel since 1913 and is the most commonly used alternative fuel in the world. There are 25 million propane vehicles worldwide, over 200,000 in United States, and nearly 7,000 in Texas. The Lone Star State also hosts 2,600 cleaner-burning propane school buses. In the U.S., there are over 12,500 propane school buses operated by over 700 school districts transporting over ½ a million students each school day.
About Propane Education & Research Council (PERC)
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is a check-off program established, operated, and funded by the propane industry. PERC implements safety and training programs, conducts research, and invests in technology development with leading equipment manufacturers to expand adoption of propane as a clean, American-made energy source.About the Propane Council of Texas
The Propane Council of Texas is (ProCOT) is a 501 (c) 3 and the state arm of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). Our objective is consumer education, highlighting the benefits of home-grown propane and promoting clean-burning propane technologies.
Propane Council Recognizes Friendswood ISD for Using Clean-Burning Autogas
Donation recognizes Friendswood ISD for improving student health and safety with a propane-powered bus fleet
The Propane Education & Research Council donated $2,500 to Friendswood Junior High School Wednesday in recognition of its effort to improve students’ health and safety by adopting a propane-powered bus fleet. The donation is part of the commodity checkoff program’s new campaign to educate consumers about the benefits of transitioning away from diesel and other dirty fuels.
“Diesel has long been the standard in school transportation, but for districts that want to reduce harmful emissions, save money, and create a safer, healthier ride, propane is an excellent alternative,” said Roy Willis, PERC president and CEO.
In 2012, Friendswood Junior High began transitioning their bus fleet to the alternative fuel. Today, 12 of its 50 buses run on propane, with three more on order. Transportation Director Mike Jones said he’s pushing for an all propane fleet. For Friendswood, “it’s a complete win-win,” Jones said.
“The fuel is cheaper, the infrastructure is simpler and it’s cleaner for the environment,” said Jones. “The new diesel models come with the aftertreatment systems on the exhaust,” he said. “We don’t have to worry about any of that with the propane.”
According to PERC, aside from serious cost-saving benefits, propane buses run quieter than diesel, allowing drivers to better monitor passengers’ activity. They also reduce exposure to diesel exhaust, which the World Health Organization classifies as a carcinogen.
Recognizing these benefits, schools across 45 states — a total of more than 7,000 buses — have transitioned to propane. Twenty of the top 25 designated market areas and four of the 10 largest school districts in the country are now using them. The trend prompted PERC to launch an awareness campaign early this fall to teach communities about the benefits of propane-powered transportation. The Council has partnered with journalist and former teacher Jenna Bush Hager and the nonprofit Adopt a Classroom to donate more than $30,000 nationwide to teachers at schools adopting propane buses.
“It’s clear when you talk to school administrators and transportation departments that they are saving more than just dollars and cents by going with propane buses,” said Hager. “The switch is improving their school as a whole and giving them the opportunity to invest in more teachers or school programs.”
For more information on propane school buses, including bus safety tips for parents and kids courtesy of the National Association of Pupil Transportation, visit BetterOurBuses.com. To donate to teachers in your local community, visit AdoptAClassroom.org
About PERC: The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit established, operated, and funded by the propane industry. PERC leads safety and training efforts and drives technology development to expand the adoption of propane as a clean, domestic, and affordable energy source. PERC programs benefit a variety of markets including transportation, agriculture, landscaping, residential, and commercial. For more information about propane-powered technologies, equipment incentives, and PERC, visit PropaneCouncil.org.
About Friendswood Junior High: Friendswood Junior High School is located in Friendswood, Texas primarily a residential area located in the northwestern corner of Galveston County, approximately 25 miles from downtown Houston. City of Friendswood Online FJH is the only Junior High School in the Friendswood Independent School District. Friendswood Junior High School houses approximately 1500 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. Friendswood Junior High School is an Exemplary campus and are proud to be a part of a TEA Exemplary district. Our goal is to assist our students in the development of their academic skills, as well as provide them with opportunities to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities.
Propane Council of Texas: Greening the Landscape Industry
The Propane Council of Texas, a non-profit dedicated to educating the public on cleaner-burning propane hopes to help green the landscape community. This past week, August 13-15, 2015 in Dallas, the Council attended the Nursery/Landscape Expo hosted by the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association in effort to tout the benefits of greener options for landscapers.
The EPA estimates that 17 million gallons of gasoline are spilled each year refueling lawn equipment. Propane eliminates this threat to the environment, because it doesn’t contaminate groundwater or soil. Plus, it has a closed refueling system.
Additionally, propane commercial mowers produce less carbon and fewer greenhouse-gas emissions.
“Landscapers do not have to worry about lost labor hours due to mowing restrictions on Ozone Action Days, because propane mowers have lower emissions than traditional gasoline mowers,” says Jackie Mason, Education & Marketing Director for the Propane Council of Texas.
Landscapers also now have a vast amount of mowers to choose from that can be powered with propane. There are more than 17 manufacturers and 135 propane commercial mower models available either straight from the factory or through conversion.
“Propane Council of Texas also makes it easier for landscapers to make the switch by offering the incentives,” says Mason.
The program, which began in 2010, currently gives up $1,000 per propane commercial mower, up to 5 mowers.
For more information, propane mowers and the Council’s incentive programs, visit https://www.fuelingtexas.com.
About the Propane Council of Texas
The Propane Council of Texas (ProCOT) is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 dedicated to educating the public and the propane industry on safety and on the newest clean-burning propane technologies. ProCOT is the state entity that represents the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), which was authorized by the U.S. Congress with the passage of the Propane Education and Research Act (PERA) of 1996.
