The Council Rock School District in Bucks County, Pa., is replacing 150 existing diesel school buses with propane autogas models and has chosen Rhoads Energy to provide fuel for the new clean fleet.
Rhoads Energy, a full-service energy company based in Lancaster, Pa., says it won a competitive bidding process to install propane fueling stations at the district's two bus depots in Newtown Township and Wrightstown Township. Work will begin early this summer.
Jennifer Goldbach, business development director at Rhoads, tells NGT News the school district is replacing its bus fleet with new propane-powered Blue Bird buses, with 77-passenger models arriving in early August and mini buses (Micro Birds) coming in September.
Bob Reinhart, the school district's director of business administration, estimates Council Rock will lower its fuel costs by $2.5 million over the next seven years.
Rhoads Energy says that Council Rock is just the latest school district in Pennsylvania seeking to realize the cost savings and other benefits of propane buses: In 2014, Rhoads was chosen to provide propane services for a new fleet of approximately 100 buses operated by Hempfield School District in Lancaster County.
“The agreement with Council Rock demonstrates our commitment to actively serving school districts that want to evaluate and plan for the switch to alternative fuels,” says Rhoads Energy CEO Michael DeBerdine III. “Council Rock's shift to a propane-powered fleet also emphasizes that the trend toward alternative fuels is building serious momentum.”
