NPU Cuts Ribbon on Second CNG Fueling Station

Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) has formally opened its new $1.8 million CNG fueling station, a project funded in large part through a grant from the Federal Highway Administration. Congressman Joe Courtney and Senator Richard Blumenthal were on hand to participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony at the station on Tuesday afternoon.

“Our second CNG station is a special milestone for NPU and our community,” said John Bilda, General Manager of NPU. “This facility will meet the needs of new, more efficient vehicles of all sizes and help move an important technology forward in the years to come.”

The new fueling station is conveniently located adjacent to the Shell Gas station in close proximity to I-395 and Route 2. The new station features a single dual-hose, quick-fill dispenser, and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. NPU’s Control Room will provide around-the-clock monitoring and security.

Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut will use NPU’s new station as a backup to their existing CNG station, which is currently used for its fleet of CNG MV-1 and Ford Transit vehicles.

The project is funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Congestion, Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program, which awarded a grant for $1,386,000 of the total project cost. NPU funded the remaining $414,000 of the project. The project is jointly administered by the FHWA and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), with oversight provided by the State of Connecticut’s Department of Transportation.

The grant also includes the purchase of six CNG-fueled vehicles by NPU, which include four service vans, a dump truck and a sewer jet truck, used for servicing NPU’s wastewater system.