STN EXPO: Nevada School District to Discuss Propane Transition

May 11, 2016

Three years ago, Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada began the switch from a fleet of diesel-powered school buses to those operating on propane autogas. At the STN EXPO in July, a district representative will discuss how the district is going about the transition and what they are learning along the way.

At this writing, Washoe County School District will be joined by Elk Grove Unified School District near Sacramento, California and moderator Richard Battersby to share valuable perspectives as well as data with attendees of the conference’s Green Bus Summit educational track. The exact date and time has yet to be determined.

So far, Washoe County’s propane school buses have logged more than 5 million miles and consumed 285,000 gallons of propane autogas. The district said it is averaging about $24 in cost savings per oil change every 5,000 miles while also eliminating 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide over the life of the Type A bus fleet compared with gasoline models. Meanwhile, the Type C convention propane buses are emissing 59,000 fewer pounds of nitrogen oxide and about 1,200 less pounds of particulate matter, compared with conventional diesel models.

Almost 15 percent of total bus fleet of 322 runs on propane autogas.