As part of their 2011 plan Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) has adopted a novel approach to utilizing available Universal Service Fund (USF) proceeds to foster the development of a market in Georgia to provide compressed natural gas (CNG) to individuals and businesses to fuel motor vehicles through CNG fueling infrastructure located at fueling stations open to the general public.
AGL intends to ‘seed’ the new CNG market to better enable potential market participants to make the long term capital commitments required to purchase vehicles or provide fueling infrastructure to benefit from access to the Atlanta Gas Light baseline facilities. The energy provider intends to provide the installation and maintenance of fueling equipment and supporting infrastructure at locations throughout metropolitan Atlanta and eventually in other major cities and along major transportation corridors throughout the state. These locations would be on new or existing commercial sites, convenient to the location of commercial fleets and open to the general public.
Sales of CNG would be provided by Georgia’s certificated marketers who elect to offer this service, or by new CNG retailers who will operate under a license from one or more marketers to sell CNG to the public.
The program as filed is a framework submitted as a conceptual plan for further input from the Commission and CNG stakeholders interested in the development of a CNG market in Georgia. Thus, Atlanta Gas Light recommends that the Commission establish a forum to encourage open dialogue among the stakeholders who elect to participate in the process.
Following approval of this plan and under agreements with fleet operators and service station owners AGL intends to construct between 5 and 8 CNG fueling stations with the proposed USF funds.
More details of AGL 2011 plan are available from AGL.
Item compiled using information from an AGL press release.
