The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Illinois, has 68 vehicles that operate on compressed natural gas, propane, or ethanol and 28 that operate on soy biodiesel. This means that out of a 184-vehicle fleet, 96 of those vehicles run on alternative fuels.

The following article is reprinted (with edits) from the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Conservationist. Contributed by Matt Stewart, CAFM, Assistant to the Fleet Services Manager, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.

With the rise in gasoline and diesel prices, alternative fuels are gaining national attention. Homegrown biofuels have been the focus of frequent news stories, especially in the corn-and-soybean land that is the Midwest, and fuels like natural gas, at as low as $1.50 per gallon equivalent, are being eyed with envy by motorists paying ever-higher prices at the pump. At the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Illinois, however, alternative fuels have been part of operations for well over four years.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County operates and maintains a county-wide system of forest preserves - mainly as open space - throughout the western suburbs of Chicago.

In June 2001, the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners reviewed a study that outlined the benefits of alternative fuels. Switching to alternative fuels would not only save the District money - an estimated $11,500 in fuel costs this year alone - but also reduce tailpipe emissions. It was projected that over a ten-year period, the use of these fuels would reduce emissions of compounds that contribute to ground-level ozone pollution by 282,839 pounds, with a sustained annual reduction of 43,000 pounds. As a result, the commission set the District on a ten-year course toward a 100-percent alternative fuel fleet. The decision was publicized around the country as a bold and innovative effort-no other diverse fleet had attempted a total shift to alternative fuels.

Since then, the District has acquired 68 vehicles that run on natural gas, propane, or ethanol and 28 that run on soy biodiesel, making a total of 96 alternative fuel vehicles out of a fleet of 184. Utilizing all four fuels is necessary to operate the District's variety of vehicles.

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is the cleanest of the alternative fuels and is also one of the cheapest. CNG is the same fuel used in home heating, but the fuel station compresses the gas to 3,600 pounds per square inch. (In homes where an appliance is always connected to a supply line, less than one pound of pressure is sufficient. However, in a vehicle where the supply is disconnected after fueling, the gas needs to be highly compressed to fit enough into the fuel tank to power the vehicle for two hundred or three hundred miles.)

The District currently uses three CNG stations-two overnight fill stations of its own and a "fast-fill" station that is operated by the village of Downers Grove. The overnight stations fill one vehicle each at the rate of about a gallon per hour; as a result, a vehicle is generally plugged in overnight. The fast-fill station fills a tank in about the same time it takes to fill a normal vehicle at a gas pump. With twenty-two vans, pickup trucks, and cars operating on natural gas, the District is beginning the process of constructing a fast-fill station of its own, funded by a federal grant.

Liquefied petroleum gas, or propane, is another compressed gas that can be used in vehicles. Propane is easier to implement than natural gas-the vehicle fuel systems are less expensive, the fuel tank range is greater, and the fuel stations are far less costly. The District has sixteen propane pickup trucks, six propane dump trucks, and conversion kits available for other types of vehicles, and it operates a propane filling station on the west side of the county. A similar station is being installed on the east side.

One of sixteen propane-fueled pickup trucks operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.

Two alternative fuels are actually made with plant materials: ethanol, an alcohol distilled from corn, and biodiesel, which is derived from soybean oil. Both have been easy to implement because vehicles are widely available and fueling infrastructure costs are minimal.

Ethanol is used in a gasoline blend known as E-85, which is a mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Since the fuel is made from Illinois corn, availability is increasing throughout the State. In fact, in 2004, the District changed one of its unleaded gasoline tanks over to E-85. The District's twenty-four E-85 vehicles are pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles with ethanol systems installed at the factory. These vehicles can run on E-85, regular unleaded gasoline, or any mixture of the two.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has twenty-four pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles that run on E-85.

Biodiesel is used in various blends, but the District uses B20 (a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent regular diesel). This is the highest blend recommended for use in the widest variety of vehicles and equipment that still meets the minimum requirements to qualify as an alternative fuel. All of the District's diesel pumps now dispense B20, and all twenty-eight diesel vehicles and eighty-one other pieces of diesel equipment in the fleet have been running on B20 since 2002.

One key point is that alternative fuel vehicles drive, accelerate, and last as well as their traditional counterparts. As Steve McHugh, the District's mechanic foreman, explained, "Maintenance is similar as well. There are still oil changes, brake jobs - the same work you see with gasoline vehicles. The only difference is that we anticipate the engines will last longer because the fuel burns cleaner. Of course, working on the actual alternative fuel system is different for natural gas and propane vehicles."

The Forest Preserve District is proud of its evolving fleet, which has received local and federal recognition, including an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Five-Star Green Fleet designation. Through a combination of maintenance and fuel cost savings and state and federal grants and incentives to cover the costs of conversions and fuel stations, the District anticipates saving additional dollars as the program progresses. With all of these great benefits to DuPage County residents and the environment, there really is no alternative.

“Seeking Success Stories” is a new section of the NAFTC’s monthly eNews where readers can share their personal testimonials about the benefits of owning and driving an alternative fuel or advanced technology vehicle. To be a part of this eNews feature, please e-mail your comments to Leah.Bogdan@mail.wvu.edu using the subject line “Success Stories.” In your message include information such as your name; type of vehicle; how or why you were surprised/impressed/pleased with its performance or benefits; what, when, and where it happened; and any other successful details you may like our readers to know.