State legislators and local dignitaries like Gov. Nathan Deal and State Sen. Butch Miller today came out to recognize Hall County School System as Georgia’s first school district to fuel its bus fleet with clean-burning propane autogas. The theme of the event, “Georgians supporting Georgians for a greener community,” spotlighted the need to create and use products that support a clean and healthy environment.
The district purchased 20 Blue Bird propane-powered Vision school buses to both reduce its carbon footprint and to lower the county’s costs for bus fuel and maintenance. Hall County buses transport more than 20,000 students daily, using 220 school buses that travel nearly 4 million miles per year.
“We choose propane autogas because not only does it represent significant reduced fuel costs and clean-burning properties, but also because the source, natural gas, is in abundant supply right here in America,” said William Schofield, superintendent of the Hall County Schools. “Using a transportation fuel that saves taxpayers money, keeps the environment clean, and keeps jobs within our national borders is a win-win for everyone.”
Blue Bird President and CEO Phil Horlock noted that school districts nationwide are reaping the environmental and economic benefits of their propane buses.
“We are proud to deliver a bus that not only provides school children with a reliable, safe and environmentally friendly ride to and from school every day but that also fuels economic development in Georgia.”
Hall County pays less than $2 per gallon to fuel with propane and expects to save $36,000 in fuel costs this year alone. The 72-passenger Blue Bird Vision features the ROUSH CleanTech liquid propane fuel system.
“These propane autogas buses really deliver — less noise, reduced costs and fewer air pollutants — all while running on an American-made fuel,” said Todd Mouw, ROUSH vice president of sales and marketing.
Ninety percent of the U.S. propane supply is produced domestically, with another seven percent from Canada. Engine noise levels decrease by 50 percent when compared to diesel vehicles, resulting in fewer driver distractions. Additionally, the propane refueling infrastructure is less expensive than any other alternative fuel, which enabled Hall County to install three 1,000-gallon propane autogas refueling stations with state-of-the-art dispensers and operation systems.
