September 1, 2026. Putnam City Schools in northwest Oklahoma City is saving more tan $100,000 a year after converting about two-thirds of our bus fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG). After testing CNG buses beginning in 2025 and seeing the operational savings, the District expanded the program through an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant secured in partnership with Green Energy Solutions, with no conversion cost to the District.
The District said the CNG conversion is lowering fuel costs and emissions.
The District announced in January that the conversion involved an EPA grant obtained in partnership with Green Energy Solutions and said about 100 of its 150 buses would be converted at no cost to the district.
The District said they started testing CNG buses in 2025. After seeing the savings and how smoothly the buses operated, leaders decided to expand the program.
Putnam City Schools Chief Communications Officer AJ Graffeo credits the Transportation Department for finding the cost-saving opportunity.
“When that opportunity came about, they jumped right on it to not only have cost savings for the district, for our Transportation Department that could be funneled back around and benefit our students, but also just to make sure that all of our students are getting to and from schools safely,” Graffio said.
Officials said the goal is to save money while continuing to provide reliable transportation for students.
The next step in the process is to complete the fuel island station at the Putnam City Bus Barn.