School districts exploring propane as eco-friendly bus option

With emission standards and budgets tightening, more school districts are shifting from diesels to what they call cleaner, greener, and cheaper propane-powered buses.

Waverly-Shell Rock received a $20,000 federal grant under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act to retire an old diesel in favor of the fleet's third propane autogas bus. It likely won't be the last, Superintendent Ed Klamfoth said.

'Our primary reason for moving that direction was economical,' Klamfoth said. 'Propane is cheaper than diesel. And there is, of course, the added benefit of lower emissions.'

Districts around the state and nation have been displacing diesel buses in favor of propane-powered models because they save money and release less toxins into the ozone, officials said.

Bus drivers, too, have given their stamp of approval to the quieter, cleaner ride of a propane bus, said Keith McGowan, transportation director for Vinton Shellsburg schools. He added they've proved more reliable in the cold.

'The coldest weather we've had, we've never had any issues,' McGowan said. 'The drivers just love them. They're quiet, they heat up a lot quicker than the diesel does, they burn so clean, less exhaust, and you don't have to change as many filters.'

Vinton Shellsburg purchased two propane buses in 2014, and has two more on order, McGowan said. The purchases come during the normal replacement cycle of buses, which is one or two per year, and is paid for through the physical plant and equipment levy, he said.

McGowan has offered testimonials to other districts exploring propane buses as an option, including Linn-Mar, which just put in an order for its first four propane buses.

'The diesel emission requirements in the last several years and the fuel and maintenance costs are pretty high,' said Brian Cruise, transportation manager for Linn-Mar, explaining why the district looked at an alternative fuel. '...

We started talking to some districts in Eastern Iowa to get feedback, and it was very positive.'

There's an upfront cost difference, but officials said savings come in the long run.

New buses cost between $80,000 and $100,000, depending on the options, with propane buses about $6,000 to $7,000 more. Diesels also get more miles per gallon.

However, propane currently sells for half as much as diesel — $2.71 per gallon for diesel and $1.45 for propane, according to AAA and U.S. Energy Information Administration, respectively — and propane buses require less oil and fewer oil changes, McGowan said.

Linn-Mar estimates $2,515 in savings per propane bus per year, Cruise said.

'That is pretty significant,' Cruise said. 'And that's a pretty conservative investment.' Environmentally speaking, Cruise said propane buses emit 85 percent less particulate matter than diesel counterparts. The Environmental Protection Agency has been cracking down on particulate matter, which is made up of small particles and liquids that have contributed to poor air quality and linked to health concern, according to the EPA.

Dwight Houseal, a salesman for School Bus Sales Co. of Waverly, which is a bus dealer for the state, said the growth of propane buses has been slow but steady since 2009. Sixteen school districts in Iowa now have at least one propane bus in their fleet, and they account for about 15 percent of their conventional school bus sales, he noted.

The Omaha school district deployed 435 propane buses in 2013, and estimated it saved $200,000 in the first year, according to news reports.

In Iowa, while smaller districts have been more quick to get on board, that larger districts such as Linn-Mar are buying propane buses is a sign this likely will become more common, Houseal said.

Yet Cedar Rapids and Iowa City school district officials said they have explored the propane option but for fleets of their size, it doesn't make sense.

The biggest obstacle is the infrastructure for filling up, said Denny Schreckengast, transportation manager for Cedar Rapids Community School District. For a fleet of 116 buses, it would be expensive and they don't have the space for the number of terminals needed, Schreckengast said.

Linn-Mar is investing $20,000 in a fueling station for propane buses, Cruise said. McGowan said Farm Services, which provides their fuel, installed a fueling station to serve their buses.

Iowa City schools spokesman Chace Ramey said Durham School Services, which provides busing for the district, researched alternative fuel options but found it to be cost prohibitive. Durham didn't respond to a request to elaborate.

Allen Schaeffer, the executive director of Maryland-based Diesel Technology Forum, said several types of fuels can exist in the marketplace, but some of the push for alternatives to diesel is shortsighted and misinformed.

For example, he said fuel pricing is cyclical and those pushing alternative fuels are overlooking the strides the diesel industry has made in reducing emissions in new buses.

Schaeffer said diesel fuel now has less than 15 parts per million of sulfur, and diesel exhaust filters are 95 percent effective at removing particulate matter in new diesel engines.

'We think the new generation of clean diesel is the best choice for school districts around the nation,' Schaeffer said. 'It's a proven technology ...

. And it's important to remember, a low price on a particular fueling system today does not mean a low price in the future.'