Orlando Workshop Teaches Fleet Sustainability Through Alternative Fuels

Fleet managers throughout the Sunshine State are invited to the next alternative fuels training workshop hosted by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) and the other members of the Alternative Fuels Trade Alliance, on April 14, in Orlando, Fla.

The free workshop will be held in the Naples Room of the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, Fla. This will be No. 13 in a nationwide series of 14 training seminars in 2010 and 2011, made possible by a $1.6 million grant from the Energy Department. The training workshops address alternative fuel quality, infrastructure, vehicle availability, safety, the latest technologies, and the environmental advantages of propane autogas, ethanol, biodiesel, and compressed natural gas.

“By bringing together four alternative fuel industries, we give fleet managers the opportunity to learn about the capabilities of these clean-burning fuels and what technology is available,” says Brian Feehan, vice president of PERC. “We all benefit when we have a cleaner environment and less dependence on imported oil.”

At the conclusion of the workshop, fleet managers will have the chance to get inside vehicles that run on propane autogas and other alternative fuels.

The Alternative Fuels Trade Alliance comprises PERC, the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Biodiesel Foundation, and the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation.

Each full-day collaborative workshop involves a site that is part of the Energy Department’s Clean Cities program, which uses local coalitions to promote training on alternative fuels such as propane autogas. The Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition will host the April 14 workshop. The remaining workshop site for 2011 is Kansas City, Mo.

Vehicles fueled by propane autogas, the most widely used alternative fuel,emit up to 12 percent less carbon dioxide, about 20 percent less nitrogen oxide, and up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide than gasoline-powered vehicles. Fleet managers can work with a propane autogas provider to install on-site refueling infrastructure or refuel at one of the thousands of public refueling stations located across the country.

To register for the Orlando workshop or the upcoming Kansas City workshop, or to view an archived webcast, visit www.altfuelsalliance.org. For more information on PERC and its propane autogas programs, visit www.autogasusa.org.