• The Alternative Clean Transportation conference and exhibition is being held June 24-27 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Embassy Suites in Washington D.C. The Expo Hall is free and open to the public June 26-27. Alliance AutoGas president and CEO Stuart Weidie will speak as part of a panel on alternative fuel infrastructure Wednesday afternoon. His presentation, “The Cost-Effectiveness of Propane Autogas Refueling Infrastructure, Present and Future,” will offer expert insight on how fleets can switch to clean fuel at little to no upfront cost.

• A Lead The Way propane autogas event is scheduled for the afternoon of Monday, June 24 by the Propane Education & Research Council, an ACT Expo presenting sponsor. Mike Barrett, regional maintenance director of Veolia Transportation, will share his firsthand hand experience with switching a nationwide taxi fleet to autogas through Alliance AutoGas, as part of the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program. The Clean Cities Annual Stakeholders Event is also being held that day.

• As we’ve mentioned previously, the Georgia Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow is traveling around this month, with stops this week in Savannah, Augusta, Valdosta and Columbus. Fleets interested in learning more about a variety of domestic clean fuel options should attend a roadshow to learn from the experts and test drive a vehicle.

• The 2013 National Sheriff’s Association Annual Conference is being held June 20-26 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C. Law enforcement officers from across the country will gather to learn the latest trends and technologies available, including clean fuel vehicles powered by propane autogas.

• June 20 also marks the kicks off the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program’s Propane Autogas Roadshow series. The first roadshow is being held in Montgomery, Ala., and is free and open to the public, with registration. Hosted by the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, participants include Alliance AutoGas, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, PERC, as well as propane-powered fleets such as Lewis Pest Control, Lee County and Community Counseling Services. Industry experts will discuss operating both vehicle fleets and lawn and landscape equipment on clean, affordable propane autogas.

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• An Oregon sheriff fleet expects to save thousands with 10 new propane cruisers.

• The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow is making its way through Georgia over the next couple of weeks, featuring vehicles that run on propane autogas, natural gas, biofuels and electricity.

• The Flint Mass Transportation Authority is working with Crystal Flash, which is part of Alliance AutoGas, to switch 57 buses to run on autogas. They hope to have 92 clean buses by the fall.

• States are increasingly hitting owners of alternative fuel vehicles with extra taxes to offset decreasing gasoline tax revenues.

• A conference in Houston, Texas, this week focused on alternative fuel fleets.

• The largest school district in Arizona will have nearly 90 propane-powered buses in its fleet soon. According to School Transportation News: “The district said it is saving more than $0.37 per mile in operating costs and with the new buses expects to save $4.43 million in total operating costs over a five-year period.”

• The price for used Nissan Leafs is expected to fall.

• This Forbes article poses the question: should we be turning natural gas into gasoline?

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The Polk County Sheriff’s Office will reduce its fuel costs by more than $20,000 annually with the new propane-powered patrol cars. Conversions and fueling are provided through Alliance AutoGas, with West Coast flagship fuel provider Blue Star Gas at the helm. Converted vehicles include seven Ford Crown Victorias, two Chevy Tahoes and one Ford F-350 pickup truck.

Sergeant Mark Garton of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said they were looking for a way to save money on the fuel costs since patrol cars average almost 25,000 miles each year. Now, not only will officers save money on fuel costs at the pump, there’s also a 50-cent-per-gallon federal alternative fuel tax credit that will go back into the pocket of the county–and back to services that benefit taxpayers.

Deputies haven’t detected any loss in vehicle performance with the propane-powered cruisers, and they’re also enjoying the versatility offered by the bi-fuel Prins VSI autogas system Alliance AutoGas uses for vehicle conversions.

“The ability to switch back to gasoline is a tremendous option for our fleet because in an emergency situation, we not only have a full tank of propane but also a backup full tank of gasoline,” said Sergeant Garton.

For more first-hand fleet testimonials from other propane autogas fleets, visit the Alliance AutoGas website.

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• Last week, Alliance AutoGas announced the addition of new Canadian partner Canwest Propane. The network now serves all of Canada with the only complete program for switching fleets to autogas.

• Here’s a great article about ROUSH CleanTech and propane autogas OEM options for fleets.

• Declines in driving is continuing to complicate vehicle taxes that fund transportation infrastructure.

• Meanwhile, a State Senator from Atlantic City is working to ensure owners of alternative-fuel vehicles fairly contribute to maintaining state bridges and roads.

• Propane autogas has been making headlines in Maine as the first autogas station in the state opened this week.

• The city of La Porte, Ind., has added to autogas-powered vehicles to its fleet.

• High gasoline prices are continuing to hit fleets like taxi cab companies.

• Halliburton just deployed 100 light-duty natural gas-powered trucks in its fleet.

• A North Carolina school bus fleet is test-driving clean autogas buses.

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• Alliance AutoGas welcomed Ohio-based Arrick’s Propane, which will provide clean propane autogas fueling and conversions to fleets in three states.

• A dry cleaners in Georgia is the first in the Columbus area to go green with propane-powered service vehicles.

• Mississippi’s governor signed several energy bills this week, some of which are related to alternative fuel vehicles.

• The UPS fleet’s shift to more natural gas vehicles will impact regional automotive and clean fuel businesses as well.

• Metro magazine has an update on a Kansas government fleet’s conversion to autogas.

• Rutgers held an alternative fuel conference this week for industry experts to discuss the use of clean fuels to help reduce pollution and save energy.

• Colorado vehicle fleets are now required to purchase alternative fuel vehicles as part of their usual vehicle replacement programs.

• The federal government plans to double its hybrid vehicle fleet.

• The Appling County Board of Education in Georgia announced it has obtained two Blue Bird propane autogas-fueled school buses, which should save the school district around $51,000 in fuel costs over the lifetime of the vehicles.

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• Jackson Heating & Air, an HVAC company in LaGrange, Ga., is powering 20 fleet vehicles on propane autogas through Alliance AutoGas, with conversions from Force 911 and fueling from Blossman Gas.

• The American Clean Skies Foundation (ACSF) says running more heavy- and light-duty vehicles on natural gas would have “minimal impact on natural gas prices.”

• The Propane Gas Association of New England held a demonstration at the state capitol Wednesday, featuring a school bus, commercial lawn mower, a truck and a bi-fuel car that run on clean propane autogas. The Shelton school district is adding 60 propane-powered buses to its fleet.

• Experts from the propane autogas and automotive industries spoke about autogas for fleets on the Detroit PBS program “Autoline” last weekend.

• A proposed bill in California would give a tax break to alternative fuel vehicles.

• State transportation officials in West Virginia state hope to solve the “chicken-or-egg” problem for natural gas vehicle fuel by converting a portion of the state’s fleet to compressed natural gas as fueling stations are built. The governor’s Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force recommends the state convert 25 percent–or 1,952 out of 7,811 fleet vehicles–to CNG within four years.

• Speaking of natural gas, UPS is adding a whopping 700 fleet vehicles that run on LNG and building four refueling stations by the end of 2014. I wonder how many more propane autogas stations and vehicle conversions they could implement for the same price tag?

• The Federal Trade Commission is getting rid of fuel economy labels as it requires automakers to disclose comparative driving range performance between alternative fuel and conventional gasoline vehicles.

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• Blue Star Gas helped a medical transit fleet in Salem switch five vans to run on clean, affordable propane autogas through the Alliance AutoGas program.

• As the provider of vehicle conversions and fueling for fleets in the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program (administered by the folks at Virginia Clean Cities), Alliance has also helped the Buncombe County Sheriff’s fleet save thousands on fuel costs with 10 autogas cruisers.

• The state of Virginia approved a new transportation plan this weekend, moving away from reliance on the gasoline tax.

• Brunswick County in North Carolina is testing out two autogas-powered buses to evaluate how they run and how much money they will save.

• Attention all fleets and drivers in Tennessee: there’s an alternative fuel vehicle roadshow coming your way March 12-26. Alliance AutoGas will be there showcasing clean propane autogas vehicle technology and answering questions.

• Chenango Forks Central School District in Binghamton, N.Y. just voted to add propane-powered buses to its fleet.

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• Fontaine Modification has joined the Alliance AutoGas network to provide propane autogas vehicle conversions for fleets in eight locations across six states. The autogas modification centers are located in Garland, Texas; Denton, Texas; Laredo, Texas; Charlotte, N.C.; Dublin, Va.; Gainesville, Ga.; Springfield, Ohio; and Williamstown, W.V.

• A school district in Roslyn, N.Y., has added three new propane autogas buses to cut fuel costs. This district is also adding a propane-powered van to its fleet.

• Power Solutions International, Inc., a clean tech engine supplier, has earned EPA and CARB certifications for its 2.0-Liter and 2.4-Liter spark-ignited industrial engines. The engines meet standards for off-road, large spark-ignited (LSI) engines for mobile applications running on propane autogas and natural gas.

• As it nears a milestone of awarding 500 $3,500 rebates for large-battery system plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles, the Department of Environmental Protection in Pennsylvania has extended the alternative fuel vehicle rebate program. Rebates of $1,000 are offered for natural gas, propane autogas, hydrogen and fuel-cell vehicles.

• According to NGT News, Kwik Trip, Inc. has “aggressive” plans for CNG in 2013, with at least 10 state-of-the-art CNG fueling stations planned in addition to the nine it launched in the second half of 2012.

• A fleet in Southwest Virginia could save almost $47,000 annually by converting 10 buses from gasoline to propane autogas. The annual cost to operate a gasoline bus 21,500 miles per year is $9,379 versus $4,718 for an autogas-powered bus, according to figures from Alliance AutoGas.

• The City of Temple, Texas, is in the process of reviewing proposals for a CNG fueling station to serve their 14 new natural gas waste trucks. The vehicles will cost the city $3.3 million, while installing the fueling infrastructure will cost about $1.3 million.

• And finally, a fun one: automotive blog Jalopnik counts down the 10 strangest alternative fuel cars ever built.

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• CleanFUEL USA and Ferrellgas are providing 37 new public propane autogas fuel stations for Menards home improvement stores across the Midwest.

• Clean Energy has completed the first stage of “America’s Natural Gas Highway.”

• Joe Thompson of ROUSH CleanTech encourages readers to live by their own clean energy policy, whether it’s recycling or reusing products, installing efficient heating and cooling systems, carpooling or implementing alternative fuel vehicles in your fleet.

• One of Blue Bird Corp.’s largest distributors, Central States Bus Sales, has an upgraded training program to better assist school bus fleet clients as the technology continues to advance.

• Propel Fuels raised an additional $21 million for its growing network of alternative and flex fuel pumps. Located at existing gas stations in California and Washington state, Propel’s fueling pumps dispense ethanol and biofuel blends.

• The city of Indianapolis intends to replace its entire fleet with hybrid and electric vehicles to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

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In the aftermath of a natural disaster, the agility of state and local emergency responders is more critical than ever. But events like this week’s storm can threaten the dependability of our fuel supply. That’s just one reason many law enforcement agencies have seen significant success with propane autogas.

Autogas is American-made and costs significantly less than gasoline, but it is also a highly portable fuel that can be readily relied upon in times of critical need. Autogas proved the best answer for Sheriff Stan Evans of Jackson County, who wanted a supplementary fuel supply for his deputies. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Sheriff Evans came face-to-face with the threat fuel scarcity could pose, particularly for emergency responders in states directly impacted by such a catastrophic event.

Evans appreciated the reliability of propane autogas supply and the flexibility afforded by autogas vehicle technology. The Jackson County sheriff vehicles use the bi-fuel Prins system from Alliance AutoGas so deputies can switch readily between autogas and gasoline as needed. And with fuel cost savings of $1.50 per gallon with autogas, as well as a 30 percent reduction in harmful emissions, it’s no wonder the Sheriff’s office has transitioned well over half of its vehicle fleet to run on autogas.

This week has presented a solemn reminder of our vulnerabilities; but we are optimistic that as our nation’s energy portfolio diversifies to include more of clean and domestically produced transportation fuels like propane autogas, we will be better equipped for the road ahead.