Grant means more natural gas fueling stations possible in California

The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) recently approved grant awards of $3.6 million to Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to help defray the cost of expanding the Southern California network of natural gas fueling stations with nine new stations.

In addition, SCAQMD announced grant awards totaling $7.7 million to assist a group of Clean Energy’s customer companies with the purchase of clean-burning natural-gas powered heavy-duty fleet trucks, full-size buses and taxis.

“These natural gas infrastructure development and vehicle acquisition awards will result in significant air quality benefits as harmful emissions are reduced throughout the South Coast Air Basin,” says Andrew Littlefair, Clean Energy president and CEO. “The grants to Clean Energy will help us add nine new LNG and CNG public and private fuel stations to our existing network, in locations stretching from West Los Angeles, Fontana, Norwalk and Burbank to the Port of Long Beach and the Ontario and Palm Springs international airports,” he said.

As a service to its clients, Clean Energy’s in-house Grants Department provides assistance with identifying, applying for and securing grant funding, according to the company. Over time, Grants Department efforts have helped secure more than $107 million in funding for Clean Energy and its customers. Included in the recent grant awards, announced at the agency’s July 11 board meeting, was an individual award for $5.1 million to a Clean Energy customer to assist in the purchase of a new fleet of 100 LNG Class 8 heavy-duty trucks to transport goods throughout Southern California. This is the largest single SCAQMD Carl Moyer grant ever awarded.

The Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment (Carl Moyer) Program is funded each year by the state legislature and is administered by each local Air Quality Management District in California. The purpose of the program is to reduce diesel emissions statewide by providing grants for the incremental cost of cleaner heavy-duty vehicles and equipment.

Also in this round of funding, awards of grants totaling $2.375 million were made for use by Clean Energy fleet customers for the procurement and deployment of CNG-powered full-size airport buses, refuse trucks and taxis.