Total of 73 school buses and 5 work vans have been converted to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engines. These vehicles run on CNG supplied by PECO Energy.

Lower Merion School District includes Lower Merion Township and parts of Borough of Narbeth. The Lower Merion School District (LMSD) is a heavily residential area. Due to increased community concern about bus exhaust and noise pollution, LMSD was looking for alternatives to fuel for its diesel school bus fleet. Community concerns, coupled with a round of tax incentives to promote the use of alternative fuels, allowed LMSD to make the switch to CNG school buses in 1996. “The timing was right for us to take a chance on something new and make the switch to alternative fuel vehicles,” says Mike Andre, Supervisor of Transportation for LMSD. “We’re sitting pretty good here with gas prices being what they are today. On average, we’re saving about $.50 per gasoline gallon equivalent. The new CNG buses have worked so well for us that we’ve got 4 more on order.”

Lower Merion School District was recently awarded a grant of $130,000 for upgrades on their bus fleet fuel system from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). LMSD reports that there are 4 new CNG buses on order. They are looking to convert the remaining diesel fleet to biodiesel.

Mike Andre, Supervisor of Transportation

http://www.rebuild.org/attachments/community/closeups/esscu_merion.pdf

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/progs/new_success_ddown.cgi?59