Contact: Michael Phillips
Virginia Clean Cities
804-482-1790
mphillips@vacleancities.org
Largest propane deployment project in U.S. history involving a government partnership is complete
HARRISONBURG, Va.- October 23, 2013- Virginia Clean Cities is proud to announce that 1,189 vehicles have been successfully converted to run on propane autogas through the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program (SPADP). The Program is supported by funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program and is administered by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy and Virginia Clean Cities at James Madison University. The conversions completed through SPADP displace about 1.2 million gallons of gasoline and decrease our CO2 footprint by about 6,000 tons each year.
“In this project, the full complement of vehicles were converted and are successfully fueling and driving on cleaner and less expensive domestic propane,” said Alleyn Harned, Executive Director of Virginia Clean Cities. “This milestone is the result of years of hard work and collaboration with project partners and Clean Cities Coalitions throughout the country.”
Across 12 states and 36 fleets in the Southeast, program participants are significantly saving on fuel cost and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by running vehicles on American-made propane autogas. Over 47,000 labor hours have been invested since the project’s inception in 2009.
In the Commonwealth of Virginia alone, the program has helped a variety of public and private fleets convert vehicles to autogas, including Groome Transportation, Virginia Premier Health Plan, the City of Newport News, Spotsylvania County, Red Top Cab, and the Augusta, Culpeper and Frederick County Sheriff’s Offices. In the Richmond area, Groome Transportation’s 16 propane vans in the program and Virginia Premier Health Plan’s 18 propane vans have helped each save significant dollars at the pump.
Propane autogas, also referred to as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), is the most widely used alternative fuel in the world, with more than 17 million autogas vehicles on the road globally. Autogas is cleaner than gasoline and can be around $1.50 less per gallon; and, with more than 90 percent of the U.S. autogas supply made in America, propane autogas is cost-effective and widely available, now.
The vehicle conversions in this program took fleet vehicles that run on gasoline and upfitted them with the bi-fuel PRINs VSI propane autogas system. This bi-fuel approach is enticing to fleets because the system can run on gasoline if the autogas tank runs low, and often the kit can easily be switched from a retiring vehicle to a newer model with little cost or downtime.
About the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program
The Program put clean autogas vehicles on the road and implemented fueling stations with partner Alliance AutoGas. Supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program, SPADP is managed and administered by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy and Virginia Clean Cities at James Madison University. At SPADP’s completion, 1,189 vehicles from 36 fleets in 12 states were converted to run on propane autogas. It also implemented fueling stations for each fleet, displacing 1.2 million gallons of gasoline each year, eliminating more than 2,000 tons of airborne pollutants annually and saving fleets $1.8 million a year while creating American jobs. Virginia Clean Cities’ partnership with James Madison University has also allowed for student learning internships. Over the course of the grant five students have been involved in the Program assisting with project deliverables while gaining knowledge on alternate fuel vehicle deployment.
Visit www.usepropaneautogas.com for more information.
About Virginia Clean Cities
Virginia Clean Cities is a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing our energy, economic, and environmental security through petroleum reduction and clean transportation. Virginia Clean Cities is a state and federally recognized coalition of stakeholders staffed in partnership with James Madison University. The coalition operates dozens of domestic fuel and environmental education and deployment projects for federal, state, agencies and private partners. To learn more, please visit www.vacleancities.org.
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