WV Could Approve Propane as School Bus Fuel - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

WV Could Approve Propane as School Bus Fuel

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CHARLESTON -

All school buses in West Virginia are powered by diesel fuel because that is the only fuel allowed by state policy, but that could change soon to allow buses to be powered by natural gas.

At its monthly meeting on Wednesday, the West Virginia Board of Education will consider a policy change to allow the use of propane (also known as liquefied petroleum gas or LPG) as an alternate fuel source.

Liza Cordeiro, spokesperson for the state Department of Education, said some counties once had buses that used natural gas. When they reached their life expectancy and were replaced, they were not replaced with new natural gas buses because the fueling infrastructure had been removed and there was no way to refuel them without substantial cost.

According to a PowerPoint-type presentation attached to the board's agenda, a diesel-power school bus costs about $85,000, while a propane-powered bus costs about $95,000. The presentation assumes a bus is in service for 180,000 miles and that propane costs $1.70 a gallon versus $3.70 for diesel fuel. After 3.19 years, savings in fuel and operating costs makes the propane bus a better value. Over the lifetime of the bus, a county school board would save $27,621.51 with propane, according to the presentation.

In the gas-rich area of Marshall County, there has been some talk of using propane-powered buses, but that's all it has been so far, said David Smith, transportation director for Marshall County schools.

"It's my understanding our county tried the propane once before, but it didn't work out so well," Smith said. Along with upfront costs, there are other training and costs the county would have to absorb, such as certifying people to refuel buses, he said.

The school bus proposal is part of a larger effort to convert government vehicle fleets in West Virginia to natural gas.

In August, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin included compressed natural gas vehicles in the 2013 model year statewide motor vehicle contract. The move was at the request of the Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force. Of 36 different types and size of vehicles available to state agencies and local government in West Virginia, ten types will be fueled by compressed natural gas.

A contract bid was published in the West Virginia Purchasing Bulletin and a bid opening was scheduled for Sept. 6.