Mobile County, Ala., Public Schools acquired 30 alternative fuel school buses for the start of 2014-2015 school year. Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey and Superintendent Martha Peek unveiled the emission-reducing buses on Thursday for the state’s largest school district.

Officials rolled out the new buses today at the MCPSS Transportation Department on International Drive. The new buses are part of a community initiated campaign called “It Starts With Us.” The Blue Bird Propane Vision buses will lower operating costs and fuel emissions. Each bus will displace an estimated 40,000 gallons of diesel and emit 150,000 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

“Propane is cheaper, cleaner and domestically produced,” said Ivey, who took a test ride on one of the new propane autogas buses. “This is an environmental initiative I can get behind.”

During this initial implementation, the school system will monitor the efficiency of the buses and share information with other school systems interested in alternative fuels, according to Blue Bird. The new buses are equipped with ROUSH CleanTech fuel systems.

Before choosing to fuel with propane autogas, the district’s transportation department evaluated other school systems already using the alternative fuel buses.