Texas Nursery & Landscape Expo puts a spotlight on clean propane mowers
DALLAS — Lawn and landscape professionals are gathering at the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association’s 2013 Nursery/Landscape Expo at the Dallas Convention Center August 15-17 to discover new products, industry trends and clean technology, such as American-made propane autogas. The Propane Council of Texas will be on hand with its public awareness campaign, Fueling Texas, to educate participants about the benefits of operating both lawn equipment and fleet vehicles on autogas.
“Propane autogas is clean, cost-effective and domestically produced,” said Jackie Mason, Educational & Marketing Director for the Propane Council of Texas. “Autogas is the ideal fuel for lawn and landscape professionals because, not only do propane-powered mowers produce significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional gasoline mowers, but contractors will also save big on fuel costs by switching to autogas. There is also no loss in performance when switching equipment to propane, so it’s a solid choice for businesses that rely on their mowers.”
A recent case study from the Propane Council of Texas found that Austin-based Benchmark Landscapes saved 58 percent on fuel costs in 2012 filling up with propane autogas versus gasoline. Additionally, the company saved significantly on maintenance costs, since autogas is a cleaner-burning fuel. Another Texas landscaper, EarthWorks, Inc., from the Dallas area, has saved $41,600 on fuel costs annually with 44 propane mowers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 17 million gallons of fuel are spilled each year refueling lawn equipment. However, since propane mowers have a closed loop, spill-free refueling system, lawn and landscape professionals can even operate clean propane mowers on Ozone Action or Air Quality Action Days without violating EPA regulations. In fact, EarthWorks was able to continue operating their mowers during 36 Ozone Action Days last year.
Lawn and landscape professionals can also benefit from switching their fleet vehicles to run on propane autogas, which is the most widely used alternative fuel in the world, powering more than 21 million vehicles globally. Autogas is a domestic clean fuel, with 98 percent of the U.S. supply made in America. For Texas fleets interested in fueling with propane autogas, Texas is home to more than 700 propane autogas marketers and the world’s largest propane storage.
Propane Autogas: Fueling Texas is a public awareness campaign that educates Texans about the benefits of running fleet vehicles and equipment on clean-burning, domestically produced propane autogas. The campaign features a series of statewide autogas presentations and road shows to provide fleet operators, drivers and community members a hands-on experience with clean autogas technology. To find out more about propane autogas, visit FuelingTexas.com.
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 check-off funds from the propane industry and goes to fund several safety programs, as well as the commercialization of new propane technology. Visit www.procot.org for more information.
MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Jordan | 512.524.5456 | amy@formation.fm
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