Bluegrass International toured the Commonwealth with the new IC Bus propane school bus powered by the Power Solutions International (PSI) 8.8L propane engine and Allison 2500PTS transmission. The bus was on loan from International, and stopped at the school bus garages in Warren County, Laurel County, Johnson County, Hardin County, Henderson County, Graves County, and Boone County from September 14th through 25th. All districts were invited to send personnel to learn about and drive International’s propane solution school bus. The PSI 8.8L engine is rated at 270 H.P./565 lb.-ft. torque, and governed at 2600 RPM – providing a low speed/high torque application similar in characteristics and drivability to the Cummins ISB diesel engine. There was also representation from AmeriGas and Ferrellgas to provide information about fuel availability and fueling station options.
KCFC Fall Membership Meeting at UPS Worldport
UPS Worldport in Louisville, KY hosted the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition Fall Membership Meeting on Tuesday, September 22. After the meeting, members and KCFC staff joined in a tour of the Worldport facility.
Rep. Steve Riggs challenges state, local officials to increase use of E85 vehicles
Frankfort – After visiting the Kentucky State Fair and noting its long-standing emphasis on agriculture, state Rep. Steve Riggs said he is calling on his fellow legislators and those managing local and state government auto fleets to buy more flex-fuel vehicles and increase their use of E85 fuel.
“Kentucky has a strong, diverse farming community, but we can and should be doing more to promote it,” said Rep. Riggs of Louisville. “I think challenging those in government to take a leading role is one of the best ways to increase the number of these vehicles in Kentucky and the number of stations wanting to sell this fuel.
“Since I bought a flex-fuel car earlier this year, I have been thoroughly pleased with the gas mileage, especially when factoring in the much-cheaper prices at the pump,” he added. “This vehicle is better environmentally; it promotes our country’s energy independence; and it supports the farmers that grow corn and the agri-businesses that make E85 and other ethanol blends possible. I want to see our local and state leaders step up and take advantage of all that these vehicles have to offer.”
Rep. Riggs is the long-time chairman of the House Local Government Committee and has been working with the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition as well as the Kentucky Corn Growers and Kentucky Small Grain Growers Associations to promote the vehicles while increasing access to the fuel.
“As chairman, I am in constant contact with local leaders across the state, so I am using that network to ask them to do even more in this area,” Rep. Riggs said. “This would build on the work they are already doing when it comes to energy efficiency and their increasing use of alternative fuels.”
Rep. Riggs praised those fuel companies providing E85 in Kentucky. “There is always a chicken-and-egg dilemma when it comes to increasing fuel options, but Thortons, Speedway and Mapco are among those leading the way in solving that by making sure this fuel is available at a growing number of their stations. My hope is that, in the not-too-distant future, we will see this number jump significantly and have many other companies follow their lead.”
Agriculturally based feedstocks, including corn, make up most of the E85 blend, with petroleum consisting of the rest. According to the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition, there are more than 60 stations across Kentucky offering E-85. The website E95prices.com, meanwhile, shows that the average August cost for E85 is $2.09 per gallon in Kentucky versus $2.44 for the E10 blend.
A map of available locations selling E85 can be found here:
https://kentuckycleanfuels.org/
American Natural Gas (ANG) Announces Georgetown, Kentucky’s First Public CNG Station
American Natural Gas (ANG)
125 High Rock Avenue
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
1.866.264.6220 | www.americannaturalgas.com
For more information, contact:
Theresa Agresta, Allegory Studios
(518) 580-1987 ext. 100
theresa@allegorystudios.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
American Natural Gas (ANG) Announces Georgetown,
Kentucky’s First Public CNG Station
Saratoga Springs, N.Y., August 20, 2015 – American Natural Gas (ANG), a premier distributor of alternative motor fuels, is building a new compressed natural gas (CNG) station in Georgetown, Kentucky where Bestway Express, a truckload carrier, will be the anchor tenant. The station will be available for use by other carriers and the public and is expected to open in November of this year.
Located at 405 Cherry Blossom Way, this will be the first public CNG station in Georgetown, which is a regional hub for the automotive, agriculture, and transportation industries. Once completed, ANG will make alternative fuel readily available for carriers and shippers along the busy I-75/I-64 corridor. ANG is responsible for building, owning, and operating the Georgetown CNG station.
CNG is the cleanest burning transportation fuel commercially available today. Overall costs to operate heavy-duty trucks on CNG are significantly less than running the same trucks on gasoline or diesel fuel.
“I’m proud to welcome ANG to the Commonwealth,” said Governor Steve Beshear. “This CNG station is a win-win-win for Kentucky – it helps strengthen our economy, improves our environment and supports our energy strategy. It’s an opportunity that makes sense.”
“This is a milestone for ANG. By partnering with Bestway on this station, we are changing the availability of alternative fuels in the area,” said Drew West, CEO of ANG. “This location will expand the network of CNG available for trucking lanes running through Kentucky and I’m excited to see the impact this state-of-the-art station will have.”
“We’re committed to reducing emissions, our carbon footprint, and our dependency on foreign oil,” said Will McCormick, maintenance director for Bestway Express. “Our continued relationship with ANG, and this new station, is another step toward meeting our goals.”
ANG is working closely with Columbia Gas, a utility company and natural gas supplier, to secure high pressure and adequate capacity at the location. This, coupled with the station’s state-of-the-art compressors and equipment, will give heavy-duty tractors the high-flow they need and create an easy, effective fueling experience. The site will feature generous ingress and egress, large capacity buffer storage and consumer-friendly CNG fuel dispensers.
This ANG station will accept major credit cards, Voyager, Wright Express/WEX, and other leading fleet cards. It will also offer a Fleet Fuel Savings Program. For more information, please email info@americannaturalgas.com or call 866-264-6220.
###
Lextran Issues RFP for CNG Fueling Station
Lextran has published RFP 1503 for the installation of a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station. If you wish to obtain a copy of this RFP, please go to the Lextran website at www.lextran.com/business/procurement.
To register your company as a vendor click here.
Proposals will be accepted through September 3, 2015.
KCFC Awarded Funding for Internship Position
Argonne National Laboratories has awarded KCFC $8,500 to employ an intern during the Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 seasons. Both Lizzy Gardner, Administrative Assistant and Emily Carpenter, Project Manager were former interns under the program.
KCFC Addresses Kentucky Energy Committee
KCFC along with coalition members, presented “Transportation Technologies Across Kentucky”, an overview of programs and projects, to the Kentucky Legislative Joint Energy Committee. The presentation took place August 21st, 10:00 am at the Capitol Annex Building.
Obama Signs Alternative Fuel Tax Fix into Law
President Barack Obama has signed into law a comprehensive highway funding bill, H.R.3236, whose many provisions include a measure meant to ensure that liquefied natural gas (LNG) and propane autogas are taxed fairly relative to diesel and gasoline, respectively. The law is especially considered a major victory for the natural gas vehicle industry, which has long pushed for a so-called “LNG fix.”
The alt-fuel measure was originally included in a highway bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on July 15. However, following disputes between the House and U.S. Senate over several issues, the House passed H.R.3236 on Wednesday in order to provide a three-month extension of federal dollars for the national highway program – just days before a funding deadline. The Senate, which had sought longer-term highway legislation, passed its own six-year plan on Thursday but also approved H.R.3236 as a short-term fix. H.R.3236 extends highway and transportation funding through Oct. 29, setting the stage for lawmakers to renew their debate after returning from summer recess.
Full Story Here
UPS Agrees to Buy 46 Million Gallons of Renewable Diesel
For years, companies that rely heavily on fuel have experimented with substitutes for conventional gasoline and diesel, including natural gas, electricity and biofuels.
Now, one company is moving beyond the test phase. On Wednesday, UPS announced that it will buy as much as 46 million gallons of renewable diesel over the next three years, helping the company reach a goal of displacing 12 percent of the petroleum-based fuels in its ground fleet by 2017.
The renewable fuels, from three suppliers, are chemically so close to their petroleum-based counterparts that they can replace them in engines and pipelines. They are made from an array of bio-based sources, including palm and waste oils, and animal fats.
LPG School Buses Coming to KY School Districts
For the first time in Kentucky history, school districts are able to purchase Propane (LPG) powered school buses for student transportation, and districts are jumping at the chance to do so. Leading the pack with 8 is Crittenden, Hardin with 5, Bath with 3, Allen with 2 and Bourbon, Grant and Trimble counties all with 1 propane powered bus.