City of Santa Monica Awards Clean Energy Multi-Year Fueling Agreement

Clean Energy announced that the City of Santa Monica, California has awarded Clean Energy a multiyear contract to fuel its Big Blue Bus (BBB) fleet of transit vehicles with LNG. The five-year deal, worth an estimated $3 million per year, will enable BBB to continue using Clean Energy’s Redeem brand of renewable natural gas (RNG), which BBB began using in January 2015.

BBB, one of the first transit agencies in the nation to contract for Redeem, will also become one of the first agencies to incorporate the new Cummins-Westport 8.9L ISL G Near-Zero 0.02

NOx engine, the first mid-range engine in North America to receive emission certifications from both U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Air Resources Board (CARB) in California that meet the 0.02 g/bhp-hr optional Near Zero NOx Emissions standards.

Big Blue Bus, which includes 200 natural gas buses, plans to replace over 100 of their existing bus engines with the new Near-Zero natural gas engine over a three-year period, making BBB one of cleanest transit agencies in the nation. When the transition is complete, BBB is expected to have reduced their NOx emissions by over 90 percent and their GHG emissions by 8,000 tons, annually. Introduced by CWI earlier this year, the new Cummins ISL G 8.9L Near Zero 0.02 NOx engine is designed for medium-duty truck, urban bus, school bus and refuse applications and is available on the market today. Cummins-Westport plans to begin delivering an 11.9L version that is also EPA and CARB certified in 2018.

“The City of Santa Monica has a deep commitment to the people and environment in our community,” said Ed King, BBB’s Director of Transit. “By combining the environmental benefits of RNG with the technological advances of this engine, we are proud to say that we are in fact, one of the cleanest transit agencies in the nation.”

The City of Santa Monica is a nationally recognized leader for its sustainability policies and actions. BBB has progressively contributed to the City’s sustainability narrative through its use of alternative fuel and ultimate phasing out of diesel-fueled motor coaches. Through this commitment, clean burning RNG and the new 0.02 NOx engine will power BBB’s entire fleet.

“With Redeem RNG and the implementation of the new Near-Zero engine, we are about to witness the future of the transportation industry and the incredible advances we’ve made in reducing the impact on the environment,” said Peter Grace, Clean Energy’s senior vice president for sales and finance.