NGVAmerica News Week in Review: December 19, 2016

 

• Oklahoma City Awarded $2 Million Federal Grant for New Transit Buses
• NGVAmerica, Industry Leaders Endorse Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy
• California NGV Coalition Board Approves Legislative Agenda and 2017 Priorities
• Luxfer-GTM Moves to New Efficient Facility in Port of Catoosa, Oklahoma
• Ultimate CNG Selected to Provide CNG to the City of Lexington, Kentucky
• Waste Management Publishes 2016 Sustainability Report
• Carbon Cycle Energy Breaks Ground on $100-Million Biogas Facility in North Carolina
• ACT Expo Announces New Partnership, 2017 Presenting Sponsor
• NGV Global 2017 Program Now Available
• John Snell Joins TruStar Energy as Chief Financial Officer

 

Oklahoma City Awarded $2 Million Federal Grant for New Transit Buses

December 15, 2016

The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) announced that EMBARK, a division of the Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority (COTPA), will receive nearly $2 million to purchase new CNG buses. EMBARK will use the funds to purchase six new buses to replace aging buses in the fleet. The buses will be similar to the six 40-foot CNG buses that EMBARK deployed this fall.

“This grant will allow EMBARK to replace some of our oldest vehicles that are at least 12 years old with clean-energy vehicles, which will help protect our community’s air quality,” said Jason Ferbrache, EMBARK administrator. “EMBARK’s goal is to transition all of our buses to alternative fuels, the majority being CNG, and this grant helps us get closer to that goal.”

Demand for FTA’s Bus Replacement Program far exceeded available funds after receiving 284 applications totaling $1.64 billion from 236 applicants in 47 states. Project proposals were evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, with priority given to projects that address significant repair and maintenance needs, improve the safety of transit systems, include advanced technologies to connect bus systems with other networks and support the creation of ladders of opportunity.

Earlier this year EMBARK’s governing body, the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority, approved a plan to replace its entire bus fleet to CNG or electric buses by 2025. A CNG fueling facility is being designed by Wendel Architects and Engineers, and the facility is scheduled to operate in early 2018.

 

NGVAmerica, Industry Leaders Endorse Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy

December 14, 2016

This week, NGVAmerica commended the announcement that President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rick Perry, the former Gov. of Texas, as the next Secretary of Energy. As a leader in domestic energy production and job creation, he has fostered an era of greater energy independence in Texas.

“Governor Rick Perry is a strong choice to serve as our next Secretary of Energy,” said Matthew Godlewski, President of NGVAmerica. “He understands the potential of America’s domestic energy resources and the many benefits of using more clean-burning natural gas in transportation. NGVAmerica looks forward to collaborating with Governor Perry on smart policies in building an energy plan for America’s future.”

In addition, Clean Energy Fuels Board Member John S. Herrington (former U.S. Secretary of Energy during the Reagan Administration from 1985 to 1989), and CEO Andrew J. Littlefair gave their strong endorsement to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry for nomination as the Secretary of Energy.

“I have known Governor Perry for many years and he is an excellent choice for Secretary of Energy,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, president and CEO, Clean Energy. “His 14 years of leadership in Texas and his knowledge of the energy industry will give us the right energy plan to move our nation forward. Governor Perry was instrumental in driving new energy technologies in Texas, including wind, solar and natural gas, and I’m confident he will continue to push for comprehensive domestic energy production.”

NGVAmerica looks forward to its continued work with the Department of Energy under Gov. Perry’s leadership.

 

California NGV Coalition Board Approves Legislative Agenda and 2017 Priorities

December 13, 2016

The California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (CNGVC) announced that its board of directors has approved a plan to ramp up political engagement with state legislators and propose new alternative-fuel vehicle legislation that will improve NGVs’ cost-competitiveness and ensure that vehicle funding targets cleaning up the biggest sources of pollution.

“Our goal for 2017 is to ensure long-term opportunities for the industry as we continue to grow and develop new technologies that will help California meet its climate and clean air goals,” said Coalition President Thomas Lawson. “Our coalition will advocate for natural gas in vehicles of all classes, not just heavy-duty. It’s a priority to make sure we’re supporting a full range of uses.”

The Coalition’s strategy for increasing interactions between members and legislators starts with a lobby day in the spring and an aggressive advocacy calendar that will coincide with next year’s legislative deadlines. The board will also work to forge connections with legislators and their staffs that go beyond talking about bills.

The board agreed to pursue three legislative proposals in 2017. One is a weight exemption for natural gas trucks that would mitigate the extra weight of natural gas fuel tanks. The second would establish a tax credit for alternative fuel vehicles, with a focus on light- and medium-duty cars and trucks. The third would resolve statutory definitions of medium- and heavy-duty trucks and add a definition for lightweight vehicles; the Coalition believes that only class 7 and 8 trucks should be considered heavy-duty vehicles.

“We want state agencies to succeed in their efforts to meet the state’s clean air and climate goals, and we want them to be equitable in how they regulate and spend taxpayer dollars on technology to do that,” said Lawson.

In addition, the CNGVC board formally approved Cummins Westport and American Power Group as new board members.

 

Luxfer-GTM Moves to New Efficient Facility in Port of Catoosa, Oklahoma

December 14, 2016

Luxfer-GTM Technologies, a joint venture between GTM Technologies and Luxfer Group, has moved into a new production facility in a modern, 2,000-acre industrial park situated on the Arkansas River near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Port of Catoosa is the largest inland port in the US.

“This move allowed us to consolidate three separate manufacturing facilities under one roof, which has streamlined and significantly improved our operating efficiencies at a time when our product line is expanding and our sales are growing,” said Michael Koonce, president of Luxfer-GTM.

The new Luxfer-GTM facility features an array of modern material-handling equipment that can accommodate the company’s wide range of products from small pickup-towable trailers to 52-foot-long bulk gas transports. The new facility includes a welding and assembly shop, as well as high-pressure testing equipment and a research and development and test lab.

The facility is now producing products for Luxfer-GTM’s three primary markets: compressed natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells and industrial gases. Luxfer-GTM products are either gas transports or systems, all of which use lightweight Type-3 carbon composite cylinder technology manufactured by Luxfer Gas Cylinders.

 

Ultimate CNG Selected to Provide CNG to the City of Lexington, Kentucky

December 13, 2016

Ultimate CNG, owner of the patented FuelMule mobile CNG station and provider of temporary and emergency CNG deliveries, has been selected to provide daily delivery of CNG to the City of Lexington, Kentucky (Lextran) to fuel its new fleet of natural gas transit buses. Ultimate CNG is to provide CNG deliveries to Lextran’s new CNG buses until its own on-site permanent CNG station is completed.

“This engagement expands the list of forward-thinking transit companies who have embraced natural gas fuel and have chosen Ultimate CNG LLC’s mobile CNG capability to fuel their fleet until they can do so themselves,” said Brian Fimian, Chief Operating Officer, Ultimate CNG. “We are pleased to have Lextran join the growing ranks of transit authorities similarly served by Ultimate CNG.”

Among the mobile delivery assets developed by Ultimate CNG LLC, is the FuelMule—a self-contained mobile CNG station with on-board storage and compressor delivering CNG on a fast-fill basis, requiring no on-site natural gas or electric power connections.

 

Waste Management Publishes 2016 Sustainability Report

December 14, 2016

Waste Management released its 2016 Sustainability Report, titled “Leading Change,” that highlights progress toward making recycling sustainable and reducing the Company’s greenhouse gas footprint.

As a company, Waste Management is a net greenhouse gas reducer. In 2015, the Company’s GHG-reducing services — recycling, landfill renewable natural gas projects, landfill gas-to-energy projects and carbon sequestration in landfills — saved over three times the total greenhouse gas emissions its operations generated all year.

In the report, Waste Management highlighted its growing fleet of natural gas vehicles. In 2015, the Company currently operated more than 5,100 of natural gas vehicles, the largest fleet of its kind in North America.

The report also includes statistics on the Company’s environmental performance, from fleet emissions to wildlife habitat protection to the variety of materials managed each year.

The report’s content is prepared in accordance with the core application level of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidelines. GRI sets the global standards for sustainability reporting, including criteria for a range of economic, environmental, and social impacts.

Learn more by visiting our new site, and reading our 2016 Sustainability Report at sustainability.wm.com.

 

Carbon Cycle Energy Breaks Ground on $100-Million Biogas Facility in North Carolina

December 14, 2016

The largest utility-scale biogas facility in the U.S., capable of transforming animal and food waste into clean-burning renewable natural gas, broke ground on December 15, near Warsaw, North Carolina.

The $100-million facility, located on 82 acres in southeastern North Carolina, is the first in a pipeline of large-scale anaerobic digestion and biogas treatment facilities planned by Carbon Cycle Energy (C2e), a renewable energy development company based in Boulder, Colorado.

Upon completion in late 2017, the biogas facility, known as C2e Renewables NC, will process more than 750,000 tons of organic waste per year. At full capacity, the plant will generate 6,500 dekatherms of biomethane per day, equivalent to roughly 50,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

C2e has already signed contracts to supply 100 percent of the plant’s output of biomethane to the utility giant Duke Energy and a second, unnamed Fortune 500 company.

“The sheer size of this project means that it will have a huge environmental impact both by addressing the major pollution problem caused by greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing food and animal waste, and by producing an alternative to fossil fuels in commercially significant volumes,” said C2e CEO James Powell.

C2e has secured access to a variety of organic waste streams, comprised of manure and other agricultural waste as well as industrial food processing waste, which will be converted by anaerobic digesters into raw biogas, upgraded on site, and injected directly into the natural gas pipeline system.

 

ACT Expo Announces New Partnership, 2017 Presenting Sponsor

December 14, 2016

The Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo announced a strategic partnership to expand the market for advanced transportation solutions. The partnership will further grow the annual ACT Expo, taking place May 1–4, 2017, at the Long Beach Convention Center in Southern California. In addition to the new partnership with Penton Trucking, conference organizers announced that Daimler Trucks North America has signed on as the 2017 presenting sponsor.

“As the transportation industry sees an increased focus on efficiency, fuel cost savings, and environmental performance across all vehicle segments, Penton Trucking is pleased to partner with ACT Expo and the show’s sponsors, such as DTNA, to actively engage fleet decision makers on the wide range of advanced vehicle technologies available,” said Reggie Lawrence, Penton Trucking’s managing director.

ACT Expo and Penton Trucking, through their network of media brands such as Fleet Owner, Bulk Transporter, WardsAuto and others, will focus on delivering content to users across all transportation segments, from light-duty to medium and heavy-duty, municipal, construction, pick-up and delivery, and other applications.

DTNA is returning to ACT Expo for their seventh straight year and continues to increase their support and presence at the show. They are expected to showcase a line-up of alternative fuel heavy-duty vehicles at the 2017 event. For more information, visit www.actexpo.com.

 

NGV Global 2017 Program Now Available

December 16, 2016

NGV Global has made available the conference program for NGV Global 2017, the 15^th biennial conference and exhibition of NGV Global, which promises a rich and rewarding encounter with leading thinkers, developers and operators of natural gas for transportation from around the world, for both land and sea applications.

With the conference theme in 2017 being Natural Gas Fuel: A Choice for a Sustainable Future, there will be a strong focus on the positive impact of a cleaner fuel in light of global concerns about the environmental impact of transport-related emissions.

In addition to the traditional uses of natural gas as a fuel for land-based vehicles, a strong emphasis on new developments in the application of natural gas as a marine fuel is also central to the program.

There will be attention paid to the policy developments in natural gas as a fuel and case studies on policies from throughout the global community. Discussions will encourage sharing of existing and future policy implications and new directions in policy development.

Other focuses include the technology and implementation of natural gas as a renewable fuel, the flexibility offered by small-scale LNG and virtual pipeline, and new engine technology.

For more information, visit the NGV Global 2017 Program and NGV Global 2017 Registration pages.

 

John Snell Joins TruStar Energy as Chief Financial Officer

December 14, 2016

TruStar Energy announced today it has hired John Snell as its Chief Financial Officer. Snell comes to TruStar Energy with over 15 years of Accounting, Operations, and Finance experience in public, private, and multinational corporate settings.

“John brings a well-rounded financial skill set that we’re excited to utilize here at TruStar Energy,” said Company President and CEO, Adam Comora. “The alternative fuel market segment is constantly changing – and John’s understanding of Operations and Strategic Compliance will help to ensure that TruStar Energy remains on course going forward continuing to bring value added solutions to our customers transitioning to CNG.”

Snell, a California State University graduate, spent the last 13 years with accounting firm Moss Adams, serving in various audit, consulting, accounting, operations and finance rolls. Most notably, he was named a partner in the firm in 2014. Snell has more than 17 years of experience in corporate finance, strategy operations, financial planning, forensic accounting, internal audit and risk management.

As the leader of the southwest region of Moss Adams Business Risk Services, Snell helped companies comply with SEC and GAAP reporting regulations, increase profit, and design corporate structure. He has given speaking engagements for nationally recognized associations on various industry leading topics including PCAOB changing landscape, COSO framework 2012, and FATCA compliance. Additionally, over the past five years Snell has directed forensic investigations leading to sizable cost recoveries. He has operationally driven efficiencies in inventory costing, revenue recognition, and expense management.