City of Temple Receives Grant for Propane Autogas Conversion

TEMPLE, TX – The City of Temple, Texas, received a grant for approximately $99,500 to convert 11 vehicles to propane autogas. Clean Start Propane Refueling, Vehicle Incentive & Outreach Program provided by Texas State Technical College (TSTC) and its partners CleanFuel USA (CFUSA) and Public Solutions Group (PSG) awarded the grant. Funding for the grant is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to promote the use of alternative fuels, according to a release from the City.

The eleven vehicles converted under this grant opportunity will run on a bi-fuel system that operates primarily on propane autogas, and uses gasoline as a secondary fuel option. The City anticipates an annual savings of between $2,500 and $3,000 per converted vehicle. With the use of propane autogas, the City will decrease gasoline use by approximately 1,600 gallons annually per converted vehicle. According to calculations, the City anticipates an estimated greenhouse gas emission reduction of 1,295 lbs. of CO2 per vehicle.

The City of Temple owns and operates its own propane autogas fueling station on-site, at its Fleet Services Center. This station was installed with funding from a previously awarded grant.

Propane autogas is 90% as efficient as regular gasoline; therefore it is assumed that the City will use approximately 1,800 gallons of propane annually per vehicle, compared to 1,600 gallons of gasoline annually per vehicle. The City will limit the purchase of gasoline for the converted vehicles to a minimum.

Currently, the City of Temple has four vehicles operating on propane autogas. The fleet is composed of 425 vehicles, 38% which are general vehicles, 38% light trucks, 22% heavy trucks and 2% motorcycles. The average age of the fleet is seven years, accumulating between 120,000 to 150,000 miles in each vehicle's lifetime. Presently, approximately 75% of these vehicles operate on gasoline and 25% operate on diesel.

According to Ashley Williams, the City’s sustainability and grant manager, current propane vehicles have saved the City more than $1,000 in the few short months they have been in operation.

This grant will allow the City to continue its program of converting the majority of its fleet to an appropriate alternative fuel, under its Sustainability Management Plan adopted in January. The City’s fleet department is committed to this plan and is working on achieving the following plan-related goals: reduce energy costs and consumption, prevent pollution, increase energy efficiency, and reduce reliance on non-renewable resourcesm, according to the release.