U.S. agribusiness cooperative encourages adoption of Autogas school buses

CHS retail locations managed out of Brandon, South Dakota, have been advocating for school districts to switch their school bus fleets from diesel to Autogas for several years, and five area school districts now have added LPG-powered buses – Brookings, Elkton, Harrisburg, Lennox and Tea – with more to come. CHS is a diversified global agribusiness cooperative owned by farmers and local cooperatives and one of the largest LPG wholesalers in the United States.

“It’s really a win-win,” said Andy Ernst, Marketing Manager, CHS Propane. “It’s an opportunity for CHS to increase our LPG volume while helping school systems transition to a cleaner-burning fuel that’s easier on their equipment and safer for the children they transport.”

In addition to helping school districts save money, Autogas reduces emissions, allows buses to start at colder temperatures, heats the interior of a bus faster during cold winter months and allows drivers to hear what is happening on and off the bus.

“With the help of Andy Ernst and CHS, we have been installing the schools’ own Autogas stations because filling on-site may allow schools to take advantage of tax benefits, and we also provide safety training. In addition, we currently have one school filling at the local Ace Hardware; the hardware chain has been a great supporter of having the buses initially fill up there until we get the school districts their own systems,” commented Eric Kracke, CHS certified energy specialist, who is working to transition buses in several nearby school districts to Autogas.

To date, CHS has helped seven school districts in South Dakota and Minnesota convert their buses from diesel to Autogas since 2017. For more information, please visit this link.

21 July 2021