North Baltimore, OH–October 5, 2015– Prism Propane Services of Ohio LLC, held a grand opening ceremony to introduce its Autogas Propane fueling station as a “greener” fueling option in northwest Ohio. Speakers for the event included: U.S. Congressman Bob Latta, State Senators Randy Gardner and Cliff Hite, county commissioners, local elected officials and area school superintendents.
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North Baltimore Mayor Mike Julien began the ceremony by acknowledging Prism Propane and Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative’s support given to the community over the years and the impact the fueling station will have.
Mayor Julien said, “By opening this Propane Autogas fueling station, Prism Propane is giving our communities an environmentally clean and cost effective fueling option. This investment of the fuel station proves Prism Propane’s commitment to a better future for local schools and businesses.”
Congressman Latta echoed the mayor’s support for Prism Propane and Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative by addressing Prism COO George Walton and saying, “We were able to put laws into effect after the propane gas shortage because of the grassroots efforts made by Prism Propane. I want to thank you for your hard work.”
State Senators Randy Gardner and Cliff Hite were present and shared their support for an alternative fueling option for the community. Senator Gardner presented Walton with a letter of citation recognizing Prism Propane’s efforts to make a greener fuel alternative accessible in the area.
Walton stated, “We want to provide our local schools, business and municipalities with a cleaner burning fuel alternative that is not only less expensive, but also keeps vehicle maintenance costs down.”
Several area school systems have adopted Propane Autogas as a fuel alternative to help reduce issues of rising gas costs and vehicle maintenance, a savings for the school district and its taxpayers. Van Buren, Elmwood, Wood Lane Schools and North Baltimore are just a few of the area school systems who purchase Propane Autogas or have begun to look into the fuel as an alternative to diesel.
Some local agencies also signed up with Prism Propane to convert their fleet vehicles to accept the “greener” fuel. Jerry Greiner, President of Northwest Water and Sewer District said the company’s choice to switch its fleet vehicles to propane dual-fuel is to help with costs and to keep the communities more environmentally safe. “Not only are we helping our employees who are driving the vehicles by converting to a cleaner burning fuel, but also all of the communities we drive in everyday,” said Greiner.
Scott McKeown, health and safety, maintenance transportation coordinator of Wood Lane schools spoke about his experience with propane-fueled buses. McKeown explained that his schools have been using propane-fueled buses for several years and have seen tremendous differences compared to a diesel-fueled bus. He commented on how much quieter the buses are and how much faster they are to warm-up when the temperatures are below freezing.
According to the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), Propane Autogas burns cleaner than other fuel alternatives, produces fewer undesirable emissions, and lowers preventative maintenance costs compared with diesel. Propane-fueled engines require less oil by volume than diesel, with no need for additional filters or diesel emission fluid. Switching to propane results in an estimated 80-percent reduction in smog-producing hydrocarbon emissions compared with diesel-fueled vehicles.
Propane Autogas infrastructure costs less to install, maintain, and operate than diesel and other fuel alternatives. The costs are low primarily because propane is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a non-contaminant of air, land, and water resources. Overall savings, especially because of available state grants, offset the price associated with conversion.
Prism Propane Services of Ohio, LLC, was formed in 1998 as a for-profit company and affiliate of the Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative nonprofit organization, to offer economically priced propane gas services to customers in Allen, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Wyandot and Wood counties. For more information about Prism Propane, visit prismpropane.com, the Prism Facebook page or call 877-887-7476.
