Clean Energy Fuels (CLNE -2.17%) today announced a number of moves as it expanded its reach in liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucking, transit, and refuse operations across the country.
Clean Energy announced three new LNG fueling stations along its America's Natural Gas Highway, including the first one in Florida. Florida's first station will be Jacksonville, and Clean Energy notes that the move will make the city a "key stop in America's Natural Gas Highway" and it will also become the "gateway to Southern Florida."
"We've begun the year with important expansions in our nationwide network including the opening of the first LNG station in Florida today," said Clean Energy Fuels CEO Andrew Littlefair in a press release. "Florida has taken several steps to support the adoption of natural gas vehicles and we're expanding the necessary infrastructure..."
In addition to the station in Jacksonville, Clean Energy Fuels will also be opening LNG stations to fuel heavy-duty natural gas trucks in Pontoon Beach, Ill., and Fontana, Calif. Littlefair noted the moves further displayed that "heavy-duty trucking segment continues its transition to natural gas across the country."
On the transit side, Clean Energy Fuels also announced it has come to an agreement with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to maintain the four compressed natural gas (CNG) stations that DART will use after it converts its entire 580-bus fleet to CNG. It is forecast that the vehicles will use approximately 7 million gasoline-gallon-equivalents each year.
Clean Energy Fuels finally announced that Smithtown, N.Y., had renewed its natural gas contract for seven additional years. In 2006, the town was the first on the East Coast that required its contractors for refuse and recycling to use natural gas vehicles. In turn, 25 trucks from its four private contractors and the town's own vehicle fleet began using compressed natural gas.
