Utah to switch bus fleet to less costly biodiesel

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) plans to switch to biodiesel fuel for its bus and paratransit fleets, which could save the agency thousands of dollars in annual fuel costs. The agency, which is in the final stages of negotiating a purchase agreement for the fuel, expects to save between 12 to 15 cents per gallon, reported the Salt Lake Tribune. UTA spokesman Justin Jones said that even saving 10 cents a gallon could save the agency $750,000 annually in fuel costs. Use of biodiesel, a mixture of 80% diesel and 20% soy, requires no engine or other infrastructure changes to the buses. UTA, which successfully experimented with biodiesel two years ago, will phase out its limited number of natural gas-powered buses, reported the paper.