School Bus Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

PERC Celebrates Earth Day, Propane’s Role in Clean Resilient Fleets

Propane autogas and renewable propane provide an alternative fuel source to electricity for your school transportation needs. This Earth Day, PERC highlights the fuel type’s ability to reduce NOx emissions by 96%.

Students Boarding Propane Bus

A propane bus can run on either traditional propane autogas or renewable propane to help keep NOx emissions down while meeting CARB’s emission standards.

Photo: PERC

2 min to read


Today, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) highlights propane autogas and renewable propane as key solutions for cutting emissions and delivering reliable energy for Earth Day.

The Benefits of Propane

Propane is a safe, clean, readily available energy source that produces 52% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the electric grid. It supports the environment and communities striving for more sustainable, resilient energy.

Ad Loading...

“Too often the energy conversation turns toward a choice between sustainability and reliability; propane proves that you don’t have to choose,” said Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of PERC. “With extreme weather events on the rise, we need solutions that are as resilient as they are clean. Propane is widely available and rises to the challenge of reducing carbon emissions and keeping our planet clean and our communities up and running.”

Additionally, propane autogas is non-toxic and does not contaminate soil or water, making it a safe choice for fleets and the communities in which they operate.

Adaptable Engines for Renewable Propane

The ultra-low nitrogen oxide (NOx) propane autogas engines available today reduce harmful NOx emissions by up to 96%. They are certified to the California Air Resource Board’s 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour standard.

These engines are cleaner when they operate with renewable propane. Made from renewable feedstocks, renewable propane offers the same benefits as conventional propane but with even lower emissions.

Renewable propane can be used without modifications in any current propane autogas engine or infrastructure, providing another smart solution for preventing zero emissions.

More Alternative Fuels

School Bus Fleet graphic reading “Alt-Fuel Moves: Bidirectional Charging & Propane” alongside an electric school bus and charging station.
Alternative Fuels•by Elora Haynes•October 5, 2026

Alt-Fuel Moves: Electric Bus Rollouts, Bidirectional Charging & Propane Growth

See which fleets are adding electric and propane school buses as districts and operators invest in charging infrastructure, bidirectional technology, and alternative-fuel expansion.

Read More →
School Bus Fleet graphic reading “When Fuel Prices Change the Math: What rising diesel costs mean for fleet planning,” illustrated with a fuel pump and oil barrels.
Alternative Fuels•by Steve Mitchell•October 4, 2026

Nobody Told Diesel Prices They Were Supposed to Come Down

With diesel prices surging, school bus fleets have new reason to stress-test fuel costs, consider diversification, and calculate what each route really costs to operate.

Read More →
Yellow full-size school bus traveling along a tree-lined road beneath the words “Gas is Back!” in a School Bus Fleet graphic.
Alternative Fuels•Cover Story•by Amanda Huggett•October 2, 2026

Why Gasoline School Buses Are Making a Comeback

Gasoline is gaining ground in full-size school buses. See how today’s options stack up against diesel on cost, maintenance, emissions, performance, and more.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
EPA DERA funding graphic featuring a yellow school bus beneath a blue sky with the EPA logo and the words “DERA Funding Returns!”
Alternative Fuels•by Amanda Huggett•September 25, 2026

EPA Opens $180M DERA Funding Round for Diesel Upgrades

The 2026 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program seeks applications from eligible organizations to accelerate the retirement of legacy diesel vehicles.

Read More →
A yellow RIDE Type D electric school bus is parked along a tree-lined street outside a school.
Alternative Fuels•by Elora Haynes•September 25, 2026

The Secret Life of an Electric School Bus Battery

Batteries change throughout years of daily routes, but degradation doesn’t necessarily mean the end. Here’s what operators should know about performance, safety, and second life.

Read More →
Catalyst Mobility: Building Clean Transportation Together
Management•by Alex Roman•September 14, 2026

CALSTART and Forth Combine to Form Catalyst Mobility

The new name represents a renewed vision for the nonprofit focused on advancing clean, equitable, and affordable transportation solutions that move people and goods.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An orange and yellow graphic with a black and white image of a propane deployment event with text reading "Charging Hubs & Real World EV Testing."
Alternative Fuels•by Elora Haynes•September 3, 2026

Alt-Fuel Moves: New Buses, Charging Hubs & Real-World EV Testing

Propane and electric school bus deployments continue to grow as districts add new vehicles, expand charging infrastructure, and gather more real-world operating data.

Read More →
Electric school buses parked in a parking lot.
Alternative Fuels•by Elora Haynes•August 24, 2026

Fewer Electric School Bus Models Reshape the U.S. Market

WRI’s latest buyer’s guide points to a consolidating electric school bus market, but fewer options may reflect a maturing industry rather than fewer meaningful choices for school bus operators.

Read More →
A yellow school bus with its red stop arm extended is stopped to load or unload students as a blurred child crosses in the foreground, illustrating the importance of motorists stopping for school buses and protecting students in the loading zone.
Alternative Fuels•August 12, 2026

The Fuel Budget You Can Actually Predict: How Propane Autogas Keeps Money in the Classroom

Learn how propane autogas helps school districts manage fuel costs with predictable pricing, lower maintenance, and reduced emissions from former transportation director Joel Stutheit.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic promoting Hendrickson's new ELECTRAAX electric axle system, featuring a red electric drive axle assembly with high-voltage orange cables connected to a control module. The Hendrickson logo and tagline, "The World Rides On Us," appear above the product against an orange gradient background, with a "New Product" label in the upper left and the School Bus Fleet logo in the lower right.
Alternative Fuels•August 12, 2026

Hendrickson, Driventic Introduce New Electric Powertrain for School Buses

ELECTRAAX, the electrified, lightweight drive axle offers integrated ePowertrain efficiency and modular flexibility for Class 6–7 school bus use.

Read More →