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- New Mexico county mulls using propane autogas, alt-fuels
San Juan County in New Mexico is looking at using propane autogas and other alternative fuels to power its fleet. Linda Thompson, the county's assistant CEO of project development and finance, attended last week's Work Truck Show in Indianapolis "to look at converting at least our local fleets to [compressed natural gas or propane autogas]," she said. "We're still in the learning phase. We need to gather all the important players together and see what the best alternative is," Thompson added. The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) (free registration)
(3/13)     
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- Okla. city considering autogas as CNG conversion draws flak
Officials in Edmond, Okla., are concerned that the city's compressed natural gas buses are taking about 45 minutes to fuel, instead of the 20-minute maximum that the officials were promised. "It simply isn't practical for us to convert additional Citylink vehicles to CNG until OnCue's fast-fill CNG station or an additional local station is operating in a manner in which each bus can be fueled in 20 minutes or less," said Community Development Manager Shannon Entz. The city will consider using propane autogas or clean diesel as an alternative, Entz said. The Edmond Sun (Okla.)
(3/14)
- Will high gas, diesel prices halt consumer spending?
The average price of gasoline in the U.S. climbed 3.6 cents last week to $3.829 a gallon, according to the AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Increasing diesel prices could affect the price of consumer goods, experts say. "For a loaf of bread, there's the cost of growing, harvesting, transporting to a mill, sending flour to a baker, then to store shelves. There could be a fuel surcharge at every step, and that gets passed on to consumers," said Nicole Mitchell, president of freight logistics firm M7 Marketing. Los Angeles Times
(3/13)
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- Chesapeake Energy is targeting Asian investors
Chesapeake Energy is seeking investors from Asia that are keen on securing cheap natural gas supplies. "We are presently owned by a group of investors who don't think gas prices will ever go above $4," said Aubrey McClendon, the company's chairman and CEO. "I want to be owned by investors who live in a part of the world that believes gas prices will never go below $10." Bloomberg
(3/12)
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- Conn. acquires new propane-powered training trailer for firefighters
The state of Connecticut recently acquired a new propane-powered portable training trailer to help firefighters train in a controlled-fire setting. The new simulator is better than using abandon houses, which is what firefighters had previously used for practice, according to Hamden Fire Chief David Berardesca. "This training is not exactly like a real fire condition. But it is the best we can do to simulate real fire conditions and it is useful," said John Spencer, a battalion chief at the Hamden Fire Department. The Post Chronicle
(3/13)
- Col. considers using propane-powered avalanche-control device
 The Colorado Department of Transportation is looking at using a remote-controlled avalanche-control system powered by propane and oxygen. It's "more efficient to bring down these avalanches, clear them and get the traveling public through, [and that's] one of the reasons we'd look at an automated system or a remote detonated system," said Peter Kozinski, the agency's program engineer. Kozinski said that the department is already discussing possible funding for the first phase of the project. KCNC-TV (Denver)
(3/13)
- Consensus builds that fracking isn't causing water issues
Regulators, energy firms and the academe are in general agreement that the structural integrity of natural gas drilling wells, and not hydraulic fracturing, is the cause of drinking-water issues near aquifers. Every case of contamination examined in Pennsylvania and Colorado "was caused by a failure of the integrity of the well, and almost always it was the cement job," said Mark Boling, executive vice president and general counsel at Southwestern Energy. The Wall Street Journal
(3/12)
- N.Y. hydraulic fracturing can be done safely, experts say
Drilling advocates and experts who have studied hydraulic fracturing argue that the practice can be safe and economically beneficial for New York state if proper precautions are taken. "The way the well is drilled, cased and cemented, the way those processes are required and regulated and inspected and assured, are the most important things we can do to prevent potential problems either in the near term or the long term," said Mark Zoback, a geophysics professor who was on a federal panel that studied hydraulic fracking. CNN
(3/12)
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- Are you a sunbeam or a storm cloud?
Bosses control the weather in their workplace, writes Scott Eblin. A leader's off-the-cuff remarks or sideways glances can be enough to put a spring in their worker's step or to drag down the mood of the whole office, Eblin writes. "If the leader is sunny and bright, everyone else is likely to be sunny and bright. If the leader is stormy and cloudy, get your umbrella out," he adds. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership
(3/12)
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Hear a fleet manager talk about his experience with propane autogas
Tom Armstrong, fleet director with ThyssenKrupp Elevator, will talk about his company's choice of propane autogas for many of its vehicles during the Third Thursday Engine Fuel webinar from the Propane Education & Research Council. The webinar will start at 11 a.m. Eastern time on March 15. It's free, but registration is required. Register today.
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--Franklin D. Roosevelt,
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| About PERC |
The Propane Education & Research Council promotes the safe, efficient use of odorized propane gas as a preferred energy resource. The Council was authorized by Congress
with the passage of the Propane Education and Research Act (PERA), October 11, 1996.
For a weekly roundup of PERC news by email,
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- Wednesday, March 07, 2012
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