Home Improvement Retailer Offers Propane Fueling

Propane vehicle drivers can now fuel at more than 30 home improvement store locations throughout Illinois and Wisconsin, thanks to collaboration among a propane infrastructure provider, Ferrellgas, and Menards. 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, the project team established fueling stations and converted vehicle fleets to propane operation. Under the partnership, the infrastructure provider supplied 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 promotes 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 the infrastructure provider developed a special dispenser to accommodate both uses.

The Menards store in Hodgkins, Illinois, hosted a grand opening in December 2012. Following the ribbon cutting, store manager Kyle Krause demonstrated filling a Menards propane Ford F-150. "After driving one of our first propane-powered pickups, I've found there is no difference in performance or drivability when compared to a gasoline-powered pickup truck," Krause said. "My wife and third-grade daughter brag to their friends that I drive a more environmentally friendly pickup."