Alabama School System Honored for Alternative Fuel Bus Fleet

MOBILE, ALABAMA (December 18, 2017) — The Mobile County Public Schools were honored at the Southeast Diesel Collaborative’s 12 Annual Partners Meeting in Atlanta with a Fleet Leadership Award.

Mobile County Public Schools has acquired 80 propane-powered school buses to replace old diesel-powered buses in its fleet. These units were replaced by new Blue Bird Propane Vision buses supplied by BusWorx and equipped with ROUSH CleanTech propane fuel system engines.

Mark Bentley, executive director of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, accepted the award for the Mobile system. “The Mobile County Public Schools system has long been a leader in the state in working toward a cleaner Alabama,” Bentley said. “This award just reinforces how proud we are to be partners with the system and with Pat Mitchell, Mobile County Public Schools’ Transportation Director.”

The Mobile County Schools system put 30 new buses in service for the 2014-15 school year and added 50 more units for the 2015-16 year. The school system transports 26,000 students to and from school daily. Before choosing to fuel with propane autogas, the district’s transportation department performed a comprehensive evaluation. This process included safety research, cost savings analysis, as well as environmental impact. The transportation department educated school officials, bus drivers, elected officials, the students and community on the advantages of using buses with cleaner burning engines for student transportation.

Each new bus will displace about 40,000 gallons of diesel and emit 150,000 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

“I would like to congratulate Mobile County Schools on receiving the Fleet Leadership Award,” Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing at ROUSH CleanTech. “The school district is continuing to lead Alabama toward a cleaner future with its adoption of low emissions propane school buses. These new alternatively fueled buses have the lowest nitrogen oxide levels of any school bus engine, which is a big step in reducing diesel emissions and clearing the air around its students and community.”

About the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition:

Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, a nonprofit membership-based organization, is Alabamas’ principal coordinating point for alternative fuels and a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program. The promotion of clean, renewable, domestic energy sources helps reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improves local air quality and increases economic development opportunities in our local communities. For more information, please visit www.AlabamaCleanFuels.org or call 205-402-2755.