At the NGV Conference-Summit in Texas in late October, eight companies were honored with the 2011 NGV Achievement Award for their efforts in advancing the development of NGVs in the United States. This is the 19th year that NGVAmerica and the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) have presented the awards. The 2011 award winners are:
- Atlantic City Jitney Association – “CNG Shuttle Bus Program” : For replacing 100 percent (190) of its 13 year old gasoline shuttle buses with new CNG shuttle buses. Over the expected seven year lifespan of the new fleet, this conversion to CNG will save 200,000 barrels of oil, and save the Association approximately $880,000 dollars this year alone.
- Enviro Express Natural Gas, LLC – “Truck Deployment and L/CNG Station Development Program” : For opening the first L/CNG vehicle fueling station east of the Mississippi that services its new commercial fleet of 18 Kenworth T800 semi tractor-trailers, which transports waste ash from an incinerator in Bridgeport to a landfill in Putnam, in Connecticut. The CNG section of their station is open to the public where they are fueling a fleet of over 40 AT&T vans plus several vehicles from the City of Bridgeport.
- EQT Corporation – “NGV Market Development Leadership” : For facilitating the development of three public access CNG fueling stations (including providing assistance in securing more than $6 million dollars in state and federal grant funding) in southwestern Pennsylvania. These grant funds have also helped offset the incremental costs of purchasing more than 135 NGVs for the area, which are displacing more than 800,000 gallons of petroleum fuel a year.
- Giant Eagle, Inc. – “CNG Truck Deployment & Station Development Program” : For opening one public and one private CNG fueling station this summer. The new fueling infrastructure will service 10 recently purchased natural gas-powered Volvo tractors that make daily deliveries to Giant Eagle supermarkets. These 10 NGV trucks will collectively displace more than 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel during the fleet station’s first year of operation.
- Happy Cab Company – “CNG Taxi and Station Development Program” : For significantly advancing the use of natural gas as a vehicular fuel in an area of the country just getting traction/gaining momentum by committing to convert 50 taxicabs (25 percent of their fleet) to CNG and for opening a CNG fueling station that bridges a CNG gap — east to west – between the Chicago to Denver corridor on Interstate 80 in addition to I-29 running north to south, from the Canadian border to Minneapolis to Kansas City.
- Heckmann Corporation – “LNG Truck Deployment Program” : Best known for placing the single largest order for LNG trucks by a U.S. customer, Heckmann is transitioning their water- transportation fleet from diesel to natural gas with its initial order of 200 Peterbilt Model 367 LNG trucks.
- Ryder System, Inc. – “Innovative NGV Leasing Program” : For their involvement and efforts in a $38.7 million dollar joint public/private industry partnership project that has created the first large-scale, heavy-duty natural gas truck rental and leasing program in the country. The project comprises two public access natural gas fueling stations, three natural gas-compliant maintenance facilities, and the purchase of 202 heavy-duty NGVs into its fleet. Many of these trucks have been incorporated into an innovative, newly-created lease program called “Flex-to-Green,” which makes it easier for private fleet operators to jump start their sustainability programs by providing the option of incorporating natural gas vehicles into their fleets. When fully implemented, this project will displace more than 1.5 million gallons of diesel fuel annually.
- Waste Management, Inc. – “A Decade of Outstanding NGV Market Leadership” : Noted for the addition of its1,000th truck fueled with natural gas in addition to fueling one third of its California fleet with “trash gas” from their Altamont landfill facility. In just one year, WM’s natural gas fleet will displace eight million gallons of petroleum and eliminate 45,100 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
