Alternative fuel grant funding available for propane autogas fueling stations
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced that grant funding is being made available to eligible individuals, businesses and government entities to continue the development of a network of Texas alternative fuel stations—including clean, domestically produced propane autogas, the world’s most popular alternative fuel.
The Alternative Fueling Facilities Program (AFFP) grant is part of the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP), and is offered to entities that intend to build, own and operate alternative fuel fueling stations. Nineteen Texas counties in ozone non-attainment areas are eligible, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the El Paso area and the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area.
Propane autogas is a clean, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to diesel and gasoline. Light- and medium-duty fleets that switch to propane autogas save money on fuel costs, reduce harmful emissions and experience less frequent vehicle maintenance. Across the state, more and more fleets are choosing to fuel with propane autogas, including businesses, local governments and more than 75 independent school districts.
“Currently, there are more than 700 propane autogas fueling stations in Texas,” said Jackie Mason, Education & Marketing Director for the Propane Council of Texas (ProCOT). “But as propane autogas continues to become widely adopted across the state, having even more fueling locations available would be beneficial to both private and public organizations.”
Refueling with cleaner-burning propane autogas is comparable to refueling with gasoline or diesel, making the transition easy for fleets. The only difference is propane’s sealed connection—meaning no fuel spillage or ground contamination. Propane dispensers can be as simple as a pump and a tank to as advanced as a state-of-the-art dispenser with credit and fleet card capabilities.
The AFFP grant period opened on November 15, 2013 and will close on February 18, 2014. While the grant is available to both public and private entities, the station must be open to the public Monday through Friday for at least eight hours per day. The grants can fund up to $600,000 or 50 percent of eligible expenses of the fueling station; the grants offset some of the cost of either the construction of a new fueling station, or the substantial reconstruction of existing facilities to dispense alternative fuel.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is hosting grant application workshops this December. For more information on the grant program, the application process or the workshops, please visit terpgrants.org or call 800-919-TERP (8377).
About the Propane Council of Texas
The Propane Council of Texas (ProCOT) is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 dedicated to educating the public and the propane industry on safety and on the newest clean-burning propane technologies. ProCOT is the state entity that represents the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), which was authorized by the U.S. Congress with the passage of the Propane Education and Research Act (PERA) of 1996. The program is funded with small fees from the propane industry and goes to fund several safety programs, as well as the commercialization of new propane technology. Visit procot.org for more information.
MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Jordan | 512.524.5456 | amy@formation.fm
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