Clean Cities Case Study: Menards

Propane vehicle drivers will now be able to refuel at 32 new locations throughout Illinois and Wisconsin, thanks to collaboration among CleanFUEL USA, Ferrellgas, and Menards home improvement stores. The project was funded in part by a U.S. Department of Energy American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) award to Texas State Technical College. Through the project, CleanFUEL USA and its partners establish fueling stations and convert vehicle fleets to propane operation. Under the partnership, CleanFUEL USA provided the dispensers; Ferrellgas provided 1,000-gallon tanks, installation services, training, and propane for each location; and Menards hosts the stations at its stores.

"Menards saw an opportunity not only to improve the environmental impact of its own operations but also to further enhance the communities it operates in," said Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition (CACC) Coordinator Samantha Bingham. CACC will promote the availability of Menards' publicly available stations to fleets across the Chicago region. Menards hoped to offer propane both as a vehicle fuel and for customers to fill portable cylinders for gas grills and other such uses. So CleanFUEL USA developed a special dispenser, the CFT 2200, which can accommodate both uses. Read more here.