Q: What’s preventing propane retailers from breaking into the autogas market? A: This question has caused me to pause. Is it designed to treat the symptoms or to try and diagnose the underlying cause of the symptoms? History, belief, focus, desire, capital, potential lost opportunity and failure to see opportunity – any one or a combination of all could be... read more
CleanFuel USA visited Friendswood Junior High Oct. 7 to celebrate the school’s commitment to converting a portion of its school bus fleet to propane autogas. According to CleanFuel USA, 12 of the school district’s 50 buses run on autogas, with three more Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2 buses about to be converted. The company says the buses are powered by CleanFuel USA’s... read more
School districts. Municipalities. Cab companies. Shuttle operators. The industry has made considerable strides over the last few years to convert fleets in all of these areas across the United States to propane autogas. Work remains, though, to position autogas as a more mainstream motor fuel. LP Gas caught up with Curtis Donaldson, founder and managing director of autogas equipment and... read more
Tim Lease, the energy division manager at Premier Cooperative in Black Earth, Wis., shares his five theories on why propane autogas hasn’t taken off in the United States at a pace the fuel’s advocates believe it can: 1. Government regulations. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations regarding engine approval slow market growth. “You have to spend thousands of dollars and... read more
Alliance AutoGas hosted a one-day training event at its Research & Technology Center in Asheville, N.C., to teach North Carolina-based sheriffs, law enforcement officers and city government officials on the benefits of converting fleets to propane autogas. The event featured three training sessions on autogas and a Q&A session. Event speakers included Ed Hoffman, president of Blossman Services Inc.; Bill Eaker, senior... read more
Eyes drooping. Heads nodding. Bodies slumping. Based on the body language of propane retailers in the room, the messages about propane autogas weren’t resonating. It’s a scene Mike Walters recalls from a presentation he gave at a trade show a couple of years ago, and retailers’ reactions weren’t consistent with what the industry was saying about autogas. “All these [other]... read more
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook for the 2015-16 heating season. According to EIA, household heating costs are expected to be lower this winter compared with the previous two winters for all energy sources. Homes primarily using propane are expected to spend $1,437, which is about $322 less than the average winter... read more
Powertrain Integration Acquisition finalized an agreement with New Eagle of Ann Arbor, Mich., to create PI-DOC, an electronic service tool for its various engines. According to Powertrain Integration, PI-DOC plugs into vehicle data link connectors to access onboard diagnostic information to perform engine diagnoses, repairs and reprogramming. It can be loaded onto a user’s computer and paired with a security... read more
Targa Resources Partners LP entered into a joint venture agreement with Sanchez Energy Corp. to construct a 200-million-cubic-feet-per-day cryogenic natural gas processing plant in La Salle County, Texas, along with about 45 miles of associated pipelines. According to Targa, the pipelines will connect Sanchez Energy’s Catarina gathering system to the plant. Targa plans to invest about $125 million into the... read more
Blackmer’s LGL 150 Series sliding vane pumps yield high levels of energy efficiency in propane autogas and propane-handling applications with no compromise in flow rates, the company says. Optimized for single and dual-hose fuel dispensers, the sliding vane, positive displacement design of LGL 150 Series pumps assures a consistent performance. Other features of the pump include motor-speed operation at 1,750... read more
