Sharp Energy, Inc., the largest propane retailer on the Delmarva Peninsula and a subsidiary of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, announced that it has constructed and placed into service a propane autogas fueling station for fleet vehicles located near the Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Airport. Airport shuttles, school bus companies, and commercial fleets can use this new fueling station to power their fleets with propane, a preferred alternative fuel option that reduces emissions and yields savings.

"We're excited to add this propane fueling station to the Company's growing network of clean, reliable and affordable energy options," said Elaine B. Bittner, chief operating officer of Sharp Energy, Inc. "Our AutoGas stations support Chesapeake Utilities' environmental initiatives in supplying propane, a clean burning alternative fuel, to the rapidly growing number of fleet vehicles in the area."

MBG Enterprise, a Baltimore area school bus company that has already begun using the new propane autogas station to power ten school buses, will be displacing more than 30,000 gallons of diesel a year. The company has recently added eight additional propane AutoGas-fueled buses for the start of the 2017-2018 school year.

"My family and I have been in the transportation industry for decades and we are always looking for innovative ways to make our business better," said Mitch Gunther, owner of MBG Enterprise. "We decided to make the switch to propane-powered buses last year and we could not be happier. The simplicity of fueling and the expertise Sharp Energy has in their infrastructure is fantastic; their customer support is second to none, another reason we decided to procure more propane buses this year. I look forward to working with Sharp Energy for years to come as we transition our school bus fleet."

Propane reduces carbon monoxide emissions up to 60% compared to diesel on a life-cycle basis while reducing smog-producing hydrocarbons by an estimated 80%. Substantial economic savings are achieved through fuel and maintenance cost savings. Historically, customers that have converted vehicles to propane AutoGas have saved $1.00 or more on each gallon of propane as compared to gasoline.

Sharp Energy has a dozen propane autogas stations operating in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.  "Propane autogas is the highest grade of commercial propane, and is the most widely used alternative to gasoline and diesel fuel in the world because of its clean, domestic and economic benefits," stated S. Robert Zola, president of Sharp Energy, Inc.