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Alternative Fuel Considerations for Fleet Applications Guideline Document #6 This document is not a substitute for legal advice. It serves as a listing of considerations to evaluate the conversion of fleet vehicles from traditional fuel use to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or a duel fuel option. The list is not all inclusive. Key Points The U.S. Energy Information Agency reports that natural gas, on average, costs 42% less than diesel fuel on an energy equivalent basis and is expected to cost 50% less by 2035. (Data retrieved January 2012) Vehicle emissions are reduced on natural gas vehicles (NGVs); and dependence on foreign oil is reduced. “It’s not about how much CNG you’re burning, it’s about how much diesel and gasoline you are NOT burning,” stated Jim O’Donnell of Alternative Fuel Solutions of PA at a recent meeting in Centre County, PA. Gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) is the amount of alternative fuel it takes to equal the energy content of one liquid gallon of gasoline. At the current projected rates (March 2012), CNG is about $0.57 versus the GGE of #2 diesel fuel at $4.099 (February 7, 2012). Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA), State College, PA is a local and premier example of the use of CNG for public transportation vehicles. Centre Area Transportation Authority http://www.catabus.com/ This website provides contact information and resource information for their CATABUS Community and Campus Service bus systems. Community Service consists of 18 different community bus routes. The Penn State University / Campus Service consists of four integrated routes that provide fare-free campus/downtown circulator and cross- campus shuttle service. CATABUS CNG Program Video Penn State University, University Park, PA reports that 28% or 72 of the 266 Office of Physical Plant vans are either compressed natural gas (CNG) or bi-fueled. For more information: http://green.psu.edu/psuDoing/transportation.asp Alternative Fuel Considerations – Converting fleet vehicles differ depending upon many variables. For this reason, selecting the right technologies for your fleet can be challenging. There are several web-based sources that can provide assistance. A few are listed below. Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Data Center http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fleets/fleet_applications.html#airports This website hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy provides links to publications, cost benefit modeling tools, case studies and fleet experiences. Data exists for the following fleet types: airports, delivery services, parks, long-haul trucks, police / traffic enforcement, refuse haulers, school buses, shuttle busses, transit buses, and taxis. Natural Gas Vehicles for America http://www.ngvc.org/forfleets/index.html Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica) is a national organization dedicated to the development of a growing, sustainable and profitable market for vehicles powered by natural gas or hydrogen. Information by fleet type, fueling options, and incentives is provided. ---PAGE BREAK--- American Gas Association http://www.aga.org/our-issues/natural-gas- vehicles/Pages/default.aspx The American Gas Association (AGA) founded in 1918 is a membership organization of local energy companies promoting the cost effective delivery of natural gas. This website provides a listing of NGV funding opportunities, current news, and resources and publications. Natural Gas Vehicle Institute http://www.ngvi.com/index.html North America’s leading provider of training and consulting on natural gas as a transportation fuel. This website provides technical information on a full range of natural gas fueling and vehicle issues. Clean Vehicle Education Foundation http://www.cleanvehicle.org/ This non-profit national organization assesses and guides alternative fuels and builds awareness for - and fosters deployment of alternative fuel systems including natural gas and other clean fuel-powered vehicles in the public and private sector. Getting Started – Local Natural Gas Distributors Columbia Gas of PA http://www.columbiagaspa.com Local Contact: Matthew J. Blymire New Business Development Manager Columbia Gas of Inc. 2550 Carolean Industrial Dr., State College, PA 16801 Phone: [PHONE REDACTED] Email: Centre County communities served by Columbia of PA: Bellefonte Borough Benner Township Boggs Township Burnside Township College Township Ferguson Township Harris Township Patton Township Snow Shoe Township Spring Township / Pleasant Gap State College Borough UGI – Central Penn Gas http://www.ugi.com Local Contact: Lou Stubbs New Business Representative Phone: (610) 736-5931 Email: [EMAIL REDACTED] Centre County communities served by UGI: Philipsburg Borough Rush Township Fueling Locations – Alternative Fueling Stations and Mapping Resources http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/s tations.html Stations are located throughout the United States and their availability continues to grow. This site allows you to locate stations near you or on a route of travel. At the present time, February 2012, Centre County has one public CNG fueling location located at the UniMart, 2091 West Whitehall Road, State College, PA 16801 To begin exploring whether natural gas makes sense for your fleet, read Business Case for Compressed Natural Gas in Municipal Fleets . Use the accompanying Clean Cities Vehicle and Infrastructure Cash- Flow Evaluation (VICE) Model to evaluate the return on investment and payback period for natural gas vehicles and fueling infrastructure. This information was retrieved directly from http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/natural_gas_infrastructure.html This document was prepared by the Centre County (PA) Natural Gas Task Force in conjunction with the Centre County Planning and Community Development Office. It received the acknowledgement of the Centre County Board of Commissioners on April 10, 2012.