The Indiana Office of Energy Development (OED) will offer approximately $300,000 in grants to Indiana school corporations to cover the incremental costs of buying new propane school buses. Join the webinar to learn more about this grant opportunity and how your school bus fleet can apply. Speakers will include Megan Ottesen with the Office of Energy Development (OED), Kellie Walsh with Greater Indiana Clean Cities (GICC) and Carl Lisek with South Shore Clean Cities (SSCC).

1. Applications due Oct 16, 2015

2. IN Propane School Bus Grant Webinar
Funding Summary:
The Office of Energy Development (OED) will offer
approximately $300,000 in grants to Indiana school
corporations to cover the incremental costs of
buying new propane school buses. The incremental
cost is the difference in price between a propane
bus and a diesel or gasoline bus. Applicants can
apply for 50% to 100% of the incremental costs, up
to $10,000. The maximum grant will be $50,000 per
award, but applicants can apply for a lower
amount. Applicant must apply for a minimum of two
school buses.

3. Indiana Clean Cities
CLEAN CITIES ORGANIZATIONS
focus on education, outreach and developing
partnerships to promote the use of alternative fuels and
cleaner transportation strategies.
Our goal is to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and lessen our dependence on foreign oil

4. DOE’s Clean Cities Coalitions Work to:
 Educate fleets, elected officials, and the general
public on petroleum reduction, the business case for
alternative fuels, and air quality benefits
 Encourage the use of alternative fuels &
technologies
 Expand alternative fuel infrastructure
 Work to increase demand and help develop market-
 driven options
 Increase public awareness
 Connect receptive organizations to grant
 opportunities

5. South Shore Clean Cities
9800 Connecticut Drive
Crown Point, IN 46307
Carl Lisek, Executive Director
clisek@southshorecleancities.org
Phone: (219) 644-3690
Greater Indiana Clean Cities
6283 E. Centenary Road
Mooresville, IN 46158
Kellie Walsh, Executive Director
kellie@greaterindiana.com
Phone: (317) 985-4380
Contact Us

6.  This is the first time OED has offered
grants specifically for propane school
buses
 The funds come from the US Dept of
Energy and from the State
 OED seeks to increase IN school’s access
to affordable and reliable energy
◦ Propane tends to be cheaper than diesel or
gasoline
◦ Fuel diversification protects schools long-
term from fuel price shocks
◦ Propane burns more cleanly than diesel,
which lowers maintenance costs and
reduces children’s exposure to harmful
emissions

7.  Max $300,000 available for the PSB program
 Max amount per school: $50,000
 Will fund the incremental cost between buying a new
propane bus instead of buying a new diesel or gasoline
bus
◦ Max amount per bus is $10,000
◦ If your incremental is $9k, OED will fund up to $9k
◦ If your incremental is $11k, OED will fund $10k
 Minimum of two buses being purchased is needed to
submit application

8.  Vehicle miles driven annually per bus
 Diesel gallons or gasoline gallons displaced annually
 Level of cost-share (match) provided by the grantee.
OED will fund between 50% and 100% of the incremental
costs
 Demonstrated need for this project and how this project
will impact the applicant’s school corporation
 Applicant’s plan to educate its community and peers on
its experience with the propane buses
 Quality and clarity of application

9.  You can apply for 100% incremental of the
incremental costs, but match is encouraged. Extra
points will be given to grants who provide some
level of match, because this allows OED to spread
its funds farther.
◦ Match can be the school corporation’s own funding,
or it can be another grant
◦ If providing match, include a commitment letter
indicating amount of match per bus/total and the
source of that match.

10.  Explain why you chose to purchase propane school
buses.
 What need will the buses meet and how will they
benefit the school, versus a more traditional diesel
or gasoline powered bus?
 reduced fuel cost; longer bus life, cleaner
emissions, etc.

11.  Explain how will the school corporation will
promote the project to its community and other
school corporations.
 Examples include the following:
◦ Community
 Website page highlighting bus project
 School newsletters
◦ Other school corporations
 Speak on panels
 Work with Clean Cities and/or OED to do a case
study
 Motorweek segments

12.  Bids
 NFPA 58
 EPA certification
 Propane Infrastructure

13.  Provide bid on new propane school buses,
including equivalent petroleum based bus cost
 Show the cost differential between a propane bus
and a diesel or gasoline powered bus
 The bids must show the bus specifications, price,
and vendor contact information

14.  Proof that the engine of the new propane school bus is
EPA certified
◦ Download certification from EPA Site or request included in bid
 Proof that the propane system is installed according to
NFPA 58 guideline
◦ Letter from fuel system installer stating that all applicable LPG fuel
system codes for installation are met. Diagrams of fuel system can
also help

15.  Proof that the applicant will have access to propane
fueling infrastructure
◦ letter from propane dealer providing infrastructure, or
◦ letter from school stating they own propane infrastructure,
◦ or copy of a bid for purchase or lease of infrastructure, with
a date indicating installation date

16.  Applications are due October 16th at 5:00 ET. Email them and all
supporting documents to grants@oed.in.gov
 OED will announce the grant awards late Oct – early Nov. OED
both email and snail mail the applicants
 OED will send a contract to the chosen grantees. Grantees have 3
days to notify OED that they intend to accept the award.
 Grantees can begin work on their projects immediately after
receiving their contracts, which means they can order their buses
in November.
◦ However, the state’s contracting process can take 45 days once the
grantee returns the contracts to OED, so grantees do bear the risk that
their contracts will not be approved by the state. Since schools don’t pay
taxes, they should have their contracts approved.
 Invoices are due to OED by April 15, 2016.
 Quarterly reports to OED will start in January and last one year:
money spent, fuel savings, educational efforts, etc.

17. Megan Ottesen
OED Deputy Director
grants@oed.in.gov
317-232-8944
Grant Webpage:
http://www.in.gov/oed/2733.htm