City’s Second Public-Access CNG Station Officially Opens in Oklahoma

Officials from the City of Tulsa, the Oklahoma Department of Energy and Environment, and the Oklahoma Department of Labor held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the City’s second public-access CNG station. The opening ceremony was held as part of the NGV Road Rally Across America, a coast-to-coast road trip powered by natural gas and presented by NGVAmerica, the American Public Gas Association (APGA), and the American Gas Association (AGA).

Oklahoma Secretary of Energy Michael Teague presented an award to Kathy Taylor, City of Tulsa Chief of Economic Development, on behalf of the City of Tulsa, recognizing the city as a leader in the CNG industry. Tulsa is one of a handful of cities that own and operate multiple CNG stations and have converted significant portions of their fleet to CNG. New Solutions, Tulsa’s trash hauler, has also converted its fleet vehicles to CNG.

“It’s great that the NGV Road Rally Across America drivers stopped in Tulsa on their way across the country and helped us celebrate the opening of our second CNG fueling station,” said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. “CNG is an alternative fuel that is produced locally, allows our fleet to operate more efficiently, saves the taxpayers in our city money, and gives the City a bit more certainty when budgeting for fuel.”

Tulsa-based ONE Gas (formerly ONG) provided grilled food after the media event, where multiple CNG vehicles were on display. In addition to the City of Tulsa, local event organizers and sponsors included Tulsa Gas Technologies, Tulsa Area Clean Cities, ONE Gas, Arkansas Oklahoma Gas, Centerpoint Energy, and OKIE811.

Located next to Tulsa Transit’s Memorial Midtown Station, the new unmanned CNG station will be open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The station will be used to fuel the City’s growing CNG fleet, as well as Tulsa Transit buses and public vehicles. The City currently operates 58 CNG vehicles.

The new City of Tulsa CNG station was approved by voters through the 2014 Improve Our Tulsa Sales Tax package and cost approximately $1.8 million. The City of Tulsa saves close to $20,000 annually in fuel savings from CNG fleet vehicles.