HARRISONBURG, VA - Virginia Clean Cities announced an additional nine fleets and more than 160 vehicles are joining the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program for vehicle conversions to propane autogas and the installation of on-site fueling stations. Of these, seven are in the public sector, according to a release from Virginia Clean Cities.

Public sector fleet recipients include the City of Sandy Springs, Ga.; Community Counseling of Miss.; Buncombe County, N.C.; the City of Carrollton Police Department in Georgia; Pearl River County, Miss.; Lee County, Ala.; and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in Jefferson, Ga. Two are private fleets. Several fleets already have autogas fueling stations, while four organizations will receive a new station under the program.

With the new fleet additions and the final allocation of project funding, the Program will convert nearly 1,200 vehicles from gasoline to propane autogas. 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 of Mines, Minerals, and Energy, and Virginia Clean Cities at James Madison University. The total Program award was $8.6 million, and with partner contributions at more than 50 percent, the total project funding is more than $19 million.

Ninety percent of the U.S. autogas supply is made in America. Propane autogas costs an average of $1-per-gallon less than gasoline, according to the release.

The Program utilizes the PRINS VSI propane autogas bi-fuel conversion system and certified technicians to perform installations. Fueling infrastructure and conversion equipment is provided by Alliance AutoGas, with co-founding partner Blossman Gas supplying fleets with propane autogas fuel.