LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,

Propane autogas may be the best-kept secret in alternative fueling. With a plethora of advantages, including emissions reduction and cost savings, it’s a wonder so many fleets in the United States still rely on diesel. As we’ve covered in past issues of BPN, autogas has found its footing in places like Europe, where it makes sense as a fuel for personal vehicles because of a smaller geographic area to cover with refueling infrastructure. In the U.S., on the other hand, fleets are the answer, with on-site dispensers providing the best coverage for refueling.

Each year, when we publish our Autogas feature section, experts tell us the autogas market is primed for growth, whether for school bus fleets, commercial fleets or even the industry’s own bobtail fleets. And each year, I ponder: Where will we grow next, and how will we accomplish that growth?

According to the Propane Education & Research Council, more than 25 million vehicles run on autogas worldwide. ROUSH CleanTech reports that more than 1,200 school districts operate propane school buses across North America, consuming over 100 million gallons of propane annually, while the electric school bus market stalls due to factors such as reduced funding and high acquisition costs. With the benefits of autogas and growing implementation on display, Alliance AutoGas stresses the importance of preparing people and processes ahead of time for a successful fleet transition.

This issue covers opportunities the propane industry has to capitalize on the autogas market, with the many merits of the alternative fuel serving as attractive and straightforward selling points to communicate with fleet managers. We offer up our August edition as an exchange of insights, best practices and information for marketers to continue building a robust plan to share this best-kept secret with customers.

Additionally, we’re excited to share the six finalists for our 2026 Industry Innovators contest! We have the annual honor of spotlighting people who are passionate about forward momentum and who work hard every day to support propane as a steadfast energy industry. Please join us in congratulating:

• Doug Dagan, Suburban Propane
• Todd Jones, Illinois Propane Gas Association
• Christian Levac, Propane Levac
• Jen O’Brian, Worthington Enterprises
• Arthur Ravo, Synergy Commodity
• Brian Raygor, Ferrellgas

Each of these innovators are proving that the propane industry is never stagnant — there’s always room to grow and improve, and as innovative ideas become reality and create positive change, the world won’t be able to ignore that propane is here to stay.

Until next time,