Methane-Burning Engines to Power School Buses

The state’s first certified compressed methane engine will power new school buses in California beginning in September, the Air Resources Board said Tuesday.

The engine, built by Tecogen Inc. of Waltham, Mass., will be used in 10 new school buses in Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area, the board said.

Individual buses have been built under experimental permits, but certification of Tecogen’s engine opens the way for the first mass production of alternative fueled vehicles in the state, the board said. The buses will seat 66 students and emit less than a third of the hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions allowed by the state, helping to reduce smog and dependence on foreign oil, officials said.