Attendees of the McCoy Freightliner Green Transportation Conference in Oregon were able to see and hear firsthand the benefits of propane autogas from Blue Star Gas President Jeff Stewart.
Stewart provided expert insights and three BlueStar autogas vehicles for test driving. The conference also included informational sessions on autogas and other alternative fuels, along with details on grants, tax credits and financing for shifting fleets to clean fuel.
Propane autogas is the third most widely used fuel in the world, powering more than 17 million vehicles globally. Ninety percent of the U.S. supply is made in America. Autogas costs about $1.25 less per gallon than gasoline, and because autogas is also a cleaner burning fuel, fleets often experience reduced maintenance costs.
As the flagship West Coast fuel provider for Alliance AutoGas, Blue Star Gas supplies fleets from California to Washington State with affordable, American-made autogas. A variety of experts, policy makers and manufacturers from organizations such as Eaton Corporation, Freightliner Trucks and Cascade Sierra Solutions were also on-hand at the event to offer valuable insight on current green options for the trucking industry.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to educate leaders in the Oregon transportation industry about autogas. It’s an ideal clean fuel for light-duty fleets that’s readily available today,” said Stewart, a past chairman of the National Propane Gas Association Benchmarking Council. “With so many green energy options on the market, it can be overwhelming to identify the best fuel to power your fleet. But, for those who want to save money and reduce harmful emissions without sacrificing performance, autogas is the ideal fuel.”
BlueStar Gas vehicles available for test drives during the event included an autogas-powered Ford Expedition, a Ford Crown Victoria and a Chevy 3500 utility truck.
“Events like the conference held by McCoy Freightliner help spread awareness about autogas one driver at a time, since they are able to discover first-hand the power of autogas vehicles,” said Stewart. “In fact, Blue Star provides test drives and demonstrations for West Coast fleet owners and managers on an ongoing basis. There’s no better way to experience the performance of an autogas vehicle than by getting behind the wheel of one.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is hosting a media roundtable with aviation business leaders today to discuss the important role of American-produced biofuels in the civilian aircraft and airline industry, and in the military.
The 
Cellulosic biomass company 
“There are obvious synergies between Beta Renewables’ efforts to commercialize ligno-cellulosic bio-ethanol production and the Advanced Ethanol Council’s singular focus on developing forward-looking policies and open markets for the advanced ethanol sector,” said Guido Ghisolfi, President and CEO of Beta Renewables. “The Advanced Ethanol Council has put itself at the center of the discussion about promoting both advanced ethanol and advanced biofuels as a whole, and we see our membership with the Council as a critical part of our efforts to further develop Chemtex’s PROESA technology and related business platforms in the United States.”
There are many aspects to optimizing ethanol plant processes, including water treatment, and that is why Quebec-based 
H2O Innovations presented at the Houston Process Optimization Seminar last year and will be sponsoring the cocktail reception at the upcoming event in Minnesota. “There’s definitely good networking opportunities (at the event),” he said, noting that in addition to the educational aspect of the seminar “they do a pretty good job of making it fun.”
