Many of Shenendehowa CSD’s school buses remain diesel powered. That figures to start changing in 2027, when a New York state law goes into effect requiring new purchases to be zero emissions.
the district has used the fuel have been non-existent, and there has been no discernible loss of performance. “You don’t even have to change or empty your tank,” Belasco said. “If you make the conversion to renewable diesel, it’s painless.” He acknowledged that state incentives are part of
the picture, but not the primary factor. “There’s a small amount of price supports and a little bit of tax savings which make the costs about the same as regular diesel. “But the financial incentives aren’t the reason we do this,” he said. “It’s for environmental leadership.”
and then switching to the regular diesel,” Hamann not- ed. “But now with the improvement of additives, we can start using it a month later in the fall and a month deeper into spring.” In a sign of the company’s continuing interest in en-
vironmental impact, Cook-Illinois is currently running a pilot project experimenting with B100 fuel, or pure biodiesel, with results not yet available. The environment is also a focus at Pittsburg Unified School District, but with a different combo of fuels. Along with 17 propane and seven electric buses, the California district’s fleet includes six buses running on renewable diesel. “I’ve found it is very similar in price and it’s almost
identical chemically, but produces half the emissions,” said Matthew Belasco, director of maintenance, opera- tions and transportation. The drop-in fuel meets engine warranty requirements but is a prime consideration given not only California’s aggressive stance on pro- tecting the environment but also local priorities. The state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, one of only four such laws currently in the U.S., reduces the price of renew- able diesel through incentives from purchase credits from producers. That means renewable diesel is on par cost-wise with regular diesel in California, Oregon, Washington and, as of earlier this year, New Mexico. Otherwise, renewable diesel is more expensive and not widely available in other states. The transition to renewable diesel has been a smooth one, Belasco noted. Supply problems over the six years
62 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2024
Problem-Free Purchasing While the bureaucracy inherent in purchasing can bring challenges, fuel acquisition need not be especial- ly problematic, according to Grain Valley’s Brady. He pointed out that for fuel purchasing in a public-school operation, even the fact that bids are required isn’t much of an impediment. “Soliciting bids for diesel purchases is not difficult,” he said. “There are not too many vendors to have on a list to request quick bids from.” The process with propane is also straight-forward. “Propane fueling is incredibly easy and cost effective,” he noted. “It’s practically turnkey with the vendor providing the dispensing equipment and storage tanks.” For best results, Govich at Shenendehowa CSD recom-
mended investing some staff time in this area. “Assign someone to monitor price fluctuations and stay in- formed about trends in the fuel market,” she said. “When purchasing fuel, either use the state contract bidding process or, if using your own bid, compare it to the state bidding.” She added that while the situation can vary by coun-
ty, typically her district buys fuel at 5 to 10 cents less than the state bid. “Should you go with propane, find out what size tanks
you need to receive full loads,” Kissel in Arizona advised. In his experience, he said significant per-gallon savings may be realized if it’s possible to accept full loads. He recalls saving as much as 50 cents per gallon with this option. At the same time, similar thinking can often bring
good results across the spectrum of fuel options. “Understanding all of the potential savings can save you even more on your fuel costs,” Kissel concluded. ●
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