GEORGETOWN, Texas — CleanFUEL USA completed the conversion of 53 Type A school buses to propane for Dallas County Schools.

The project was funded through a $1 million grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ Clean Fleets North Texas program, which was made possible largely through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds received from the State Energy Conservation Office.

This grant also supports the efforts of the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities program, which is housed at the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

“One of Clean Cities’ main goals is to facilitate the deployment of alternative fuel vehicles in and around the Dallas Fort-Worth area,” said Pamela Burns, Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities coordinator. “CleanFUEL USA has been and continues to be a solid partner in the propane autogas market by helping Dallas-based organizations, such as Dallas County Schools, reduce their transportation costs while decreasing their environmental footprint.”

CleanFUEL USA has also announced more than 37 new or expanded contracts with other Texas independent school districts for propane refueling infrastructure equipment.

Districts receiving installation of new equipment include: Austin Independent School District, Houston Independent School District and Arlington Independent School District.

Dallas County Schools has been utilizing propane as an alternative fuel for more than 10 years, saving approximately $1.5 million in fuel costs annually, officials said. The new propane buses are anticipated to save the school district more than $200,000 per year.

“The decision to convert additional buses to propane autogas was an easy one,” said Tim Jones, executive analyst for Dallas County Schools. “We have the infrastructure in place, making it a simple transition. We also live in the largest producing state of propane in the country. Therefore, we are helping our state economy, saving money for our taxpayers by reducing school transportation costs and providing cleaner air for our students. It’s hard to argue with not investing in more autogas transportation for our schools.”

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