Propane is widely known for its critical role in backyard barbecues. However, unbeknownst to many, its value extends far beyond the backyard. Nationally, about half of the propane Americans consume is used residentially, including home heating, water heating and clothes drying. The rest is used in commercial, industrial, agricultural applications and as an alternative vehicle fuel.
Last week, more than 2,500 members of the propane industry gathered to demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of propane and to communicate that these benefits can and should be channeled in to other facets of our lives.
The Georgia General Assembly is currently considering HB 220, a bill that would provide up to $2,500 of tax credits for the purchase or lease of qualified low-emission vehicles, including those powered by propane. Tax credits like these are vital in moving fleets and individuals away from gasoline and diesel, an essential step for metro Atlanta to meet federal air quality standards. Getting more alternative fuel vehicles on the road also helps reduce our reliance on foreign oil and grow the economy.
Here in Georgia, the propane industry is the driving force behind more than 1,500 jobs and more than $750 million in contributions to our state economy. Additionally, almost 185,000 Georgia homes rely on propane as their primary heating fuel.
Propane also plays a key role in the success of one of Georgia’s most innovative companies that touches the lives of school children every day. Blue Bird Corp., a school bus manufacturer based in Fort Valley, is the nation’s largest producer of propane-powered school buses. In 1993, the company rolled out its first propane-powered bus and school districts across the country are realizing the savings that come from using propane.
Fleet managers like propane because the refueling infrastructure is easy and inexpensive to install. In addition to private refueling stations, there are more than 125 public propane refueling stations throughout Georgia used by buses, delivery vans and trucks every day. Propane-powered buses are good for schoolchildren because propane produces 60 percent less carbon monoxide when compared with gasoline and up to 25 percent fewer greenhouse gases. Kids get a cleaner and quieter ride to school.
The benefits of using propane as a fuel extend into many types of fleets. The Sandy Springs Police Department wanted to save money and reduce its environmental impact so it integrated propane vehicles into its fleet. The agency now operates 67 propane-powered vehicles and reported the displacement of about 167 tons of harmful greenhouse gas emissions and savings of more than $200,000 in fuel costs in just two years. Police officers like driving the cruisers because propane is less flammable than gasoline and the tanks are 20 times more puncture-resistant.
Business owners across the country are realizing that propane is an environmentally-friendly tool to maximize performance, increase cost savings and achieve greater efficiency. More than 600,000 propane forklifts can now be found in factories and warehouses nationwide.
Similarly, propane-powered commercial mowers have proven to be effective in helping businesses cut fuel costs and drive down toxic emission levels. In fact, propane mowers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 48 percent as compared to gasoline mowers. They are also quieter, another benefit for neighborhoods and communities.
The U.S. produces more propane than the retail market consumes, leaving an abundant supply to meet consumer needs. Whether you are headed to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in one of Groome Transportation’s propane-powered vans, waiting with your child at the bus stop or planning a backyard barbecue, propane is an important part of Georgia’s energy landscape. This clean, abundant and domestic source of energy has powered our lives for more than 100 years and holds great potential for the next 100.
