Flint Loses Out On $1.1 Million ‘Green Energy’ Buses — Now Wants $2.5 Million Version

Capitol Confidential ^ | 6/21/2011 | Tom Gantert

[MichCapCon]

Flint, a city where more than half the children live below the poverty level, lost out on a pair of $1.1 million electric buses that the federal stimulus program would have paid for when the “green technology” company making them went out of business. So now, the head of the Flint bus authority says they are trying to get a new hydrogen-powered bus that comes with a $2.5 million sticker price, more than eight times the cost of a traditional diesel bus.

Ed Benning, general manager of Flint’s Mass Transportation Authority, said in an email that MTA has been discussing purchasing as many as two hydrogen buses from UTC Energy in Connecticut. He said they hoped the $2.2 million stimulus grants could still be used.

Benning also said that MTA has a design-build contract for an alternative fuel facilty that will be built over the next 12 months and that the fueling facility would produce hydrogen for two vehicles and also provide fueling for compressed natural gas and propane vehicles.

“We have not ruled out electric as a possibility, but the weight of the vehicles and recharging requirements are a concern at this point,” Benning said.

He said MTA hasn’t had a bid put in for the hydrogen bus as of yet and that they could purchase a used hydrogen bus for as much as $1 million. A typical diesel bus costs about $300,000.

In September 2009, then-Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm trumpeted the state receiving $2.2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to be spent on the “green” Flint buses as part of a new “energy economy for Michigan” that would create jobs.

[Walrus]

Anyone know the failure rate for these so-called “green technology” companies? Even with all the government money and various breaks they’re getting?

And how much do their executives take out in salary and bonuses before the operation goes belly-up?

Just wondering.

[tcrlaf]

What the hell....
It’s not THEIR money they are spending, after all. What do they care what it costs?

[woodbutcher1963]

$3.5 million for hydrogen bus or $300K for a diesel bus.
$2.2 million buys a lot of diesel fuel.

Then we wonder why the govt. is broke.

[Redmen4ever]

Propane doesn’t get the MPG that diesel does (only about 90 percent), but, because fuel tax isn’t collected on it, it cost less per mile driven. (That is, propane as an automotive fuel is cross-subisidized by vehicles using gasoline and diesel).

Plus, buses hardly save energy except on heavily trafficked routes because of low ridership and frequent stops. You need an average occupancy of 9 per bus to break even. In most places in the country, buses should be terminated. It’s a boondoggle.

Subways only make sense in very high density places (at least for the systems that are already constructed). Buses make only sense in high density places (and probably only for limited hours during the day).