Buckley Heating & Cooling plans propane auto gas station

by John Pantalone

A family-owned business in South Kingstown for nearly 100 years, Buckley Heating & Cooling has evolved through four generations and, like most fuel delivery companies, faces more evolution today. It will soon take another step in that changing environment when it opens the state’s first propane auto gas filling station this year.

“This is a big investment for us, but we believe it will pay off,” says General Manager Matt Buckley, part of that fourth generation of the family. “It provides savings to people and reduces emissions.”


Buckley hopes to open the station on Knight Street in Warwick some time this spring. The state permitting process is under way, and he hopes to have approval for the project soon.

Buckley has already converted four trucks in its oil and propane delivery fleet to run on propane auto gas, and he says they plan to continue that trend. “We converted because we needed to save on gas for our fleet,” he said. “It just makes sense.”

He’s counting on other businesses with delivery fleets to make similar conversions or to purchase vehicles outfitted for propane auto gas as they pursue more efficient, cleaner and less costly operations. He says you can see more impetus nationwide for pursuit of alternative fuels for transportation and propane auto gas fits into that picture.

“It’s domestically produced and a significant export product,” Buckley said. “You can convert gasoline engines to run on propane without great difficulty. Propane is well-positioned for the transition to cleaner fuels.”

There are obstacles in the way of success for the propane auto gas business.

“The biggest issues are educating the public and developing the infrastructure,” Buckley said. “Just like with electric vehicles, people worry about availability on long trips.”

He says that smart phone applications (here for iPhone/iOS or this website) have been developed to help drivers locate fueling stations. “Other parts of the country do much more with this, especially the Midwest,” Buckley said. “Taxi fleets and police cruisers have been converted in many places out there.”

Pricing is an advantage for propane versus gasoline, and though infrastructure issues and the cold winter weather pushed prices up this year, Buckley said it’s still cheaper than gasoline with an average price between $2.50 and $2.60 a gallon retail.

As with other efforts to inspire alternatives to gasoline and diesel for transportation, Buckley has his eye on private commercial trucking fleets, municipal fleets and school bus companies. “It’s easier to deal with small private fleets, but I think you’ll see more movement as cities and towns try to find ways to save money,” he said.

Large landscape companies have started converting to propane auto gas, Buckley said, and the fuel is suited for forklifts in warehouses and shipping sites. He also noted that there seems to be some interest in car racing circles as indicated by a plan for the Ford Motor Company to partner with the Rausch auto racing team in developing vehicles that will run on propane auto gas.

Buckley says he sees a similarity in this evolution to one that occurred much earlier with his family’s business.

“Oil was our business for many years, but customers were telling us they wanted propane,” he said. “We added that and it has become a major part of our business. The cost is more stable than with oil markets. Builders have begun pushing people to install propane heating systems because of lower cost, so there is greater awareness of the advantages.”

Buckley credits his affiliation with the Ocean State Clean Cities coalition with helping to move his company in this direction. “I’ve been working with the Clean Cities Coalition for about eight to 10 years,” he said. “They do a great job bringing together people in related industries, commercial fleets, municipal and state officials, environmental groups and others. They also have tools to help educate the public about alternative fuels.”

John Pantalone is an Assistant Professor of Journalism and the Chair of the Department of Journalism at the University of Rhode Island campus in Kingston, RI. This article was produced as part of a project in the Department of Journalism to focus on environmental and energy reporting. Articles will periodically appear, written by faculty and students in the Journalism program.