ASHEVILLE, NC -U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently participated in a media briefing and facility tour at Baker Equipment in Richmond, Va., as part of a White House effort to highlight its support of alternative fuel vehicles. 

The briefing outlined the progress of the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program, a partnership between Virginia Clean Cities and Alliance AutoGas, which received nearly nine million dollars in ARRA grant funds through the Department of Energy.  Alliance will provide the fueling infrastructure and coordinate AutoGas vehicle conversions in order to meet the program's goal of implementing nearly 1,200 AutoGas vehicles and more than 20 refueling stations throughout the Southeast U.S.

At the event, Alliance AutoGas president Stuart Weidie detailed the role of Alliance in the grant program before introducing Secretary Vilsack.  The secretary, who was also joined onstage by Virginia Clean Cities Executive Director Chelsea Jenkins, applauded the creation of green jobs and diversification of the U.S. Energy portfolio with clean and domestically produced AutoGas.

Alliance AutoGas works with America's fleets to reduce fuel costs and vehicle maintenance by converting to clean burning AutoGas.  With their motto, 'Don't change the vehicle, change the fuel,' Alliance offers a comprehensive alternative fuel solution that can be implemented within existing vehicle fleets, at a much lower cost than new vehicle purchase.

"We were thrilled to be joined by Secretary Vilsack in celebrating this unprecedented AutoGas development program," said Weidie.  "While the future of American energy security will require a diversification of domestic sources, AutoGas is clean, it's made in America and most importantly, it's available now."

Prior to the briefing, the group toured Baker Equipment, one of the certified AutoGas vehicle conversion centers participating in the program.  Baker will work with the Alliance team to bring AutoGas technology to both public and private grant-funded fleets.

About Alliance AutoGas
Alliance AutoGas - with founding partners Blossman Gas (the nation's largest independent propane company) and American Alternative Fuel - provides a turn-key solution that has fleet managers across the country committing to use clean, domestically produced AutoGas. Alliance is a partner in the Southeast Propane AutoGas development Program which received nearly 9 million dollars in ARRA grant funding for AutoGas vehicle conversions and infrastructure.  Visit www.allianceautogas.com.