The public school district in Tulsa, Okla., has commissioned new compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling equipment at the fleet's McBirney Bus Lot at 1012 W. 36th Pl. in West Tulsa.
Tulsa Public Schools was an early adopter of natural gas, having launched a two-year pilot program in 1988 that involved two dozen CNG-powered school buses and other natural gas vehicles within the fleet's support operations. The district also installed both fast- and time-fill CNG refueling infrastructure. At the end of the successful pilot program, the city bought 45 dedicated CNG buses, along with 48 dual-fuel buses.
Today, Tulsa Public Schools operates almost 150 NGVs – representing half of the overall fleet – and has several technicians who are certified to maintain and repair CNG vehicles. The city estimates that its alternative fuel fleet saves approximately $500,000 annually in fuel costs.
The new compressor unit at the McBirney Bus Lot, which has enough capacity to simultaneously fuel up to 30 buses, was manufactured and installed by Tulsa Gas Technologies Inc.
