Pressure cities and counties to provide cng

[Ronwald027]

I'm new to the site, and maybe I've missed the discussion. I've seen the complaints about some CNG facilities "gouging" and applying pricing polices that follow gasoline. But, what I haven't seen and may have missed, is a concerted effort to persuade city and county yards to offer the service at cost. I live in Huntington Beach and am told that we have CNG vehicles. I'm also told they fill up in a city yard in HB. Is that available to you and me? No! But maybe it could be in every city and county facility that fuels their own vehicles. Cities and counties must understand the benefits of CNG - that's why they have the vehicles in the first place. So, it shouldn't be too difficult to persuade them to encourage greater use by providing access to their fueling stations.

If I've missed a previously posted discussion - duh - then please direct me and accept my apologies. But, if not, why not?

[Curtis]

Re: Pressure cities and counties to provide cng

You left out State and Federal facilities...

Believe me when I say that it's on our wish list. The problem is that there are liability issues when the public enters these lots and yards that you mention. There may also be security issues. There is a precedence though. Utah did something similar and opened state owned facilities to take the load off of their over burdened public sites.

Billing is another issue. How would you pay? It would cost roughly $50,000 to add a seperate dispenser and card reader/training post, and that's just the equipment.

At cost... with the additional wear and tear on the equipment, who pays for the additional maintenance/repairs? It sounds like such a simple request at first glance, but in fact is a costly proposition. Is it doable? You bet, but someone would have to pay the millions to make it a reality.

Then of course you'd have the private sector screaming their heads off about the competition like they did when Sempra Utilities was running gas stations, and who better to leave in charge of a cng station? The private sector basically forced them out of the business through the courts. I don't believe those stations (paid for by Ca ratepayers) even exist (at least in Ca) anymore... but you may find them in Phoenix.

[freedml]

Re: Pressure cities and counties to provide cng

There have been, and I think there still are, subsidies available for providing public access to this infratructure. Typically, a driveway with a CNG pump island is installed on the 'street side' of the facility's fence. CE has done this in a number of places -- LA examples include the facility across from Union Station (outside the LAUSD bus facility) and the Santa Clarita facility. But it's usually part of the facility's whole CNG agreement, not a later add-on.

Curtis, when you say Sempra stations are referring to the SoCalGas stations? They are now run by CE. Except for a few that disappeared, like Glendale. PGE and SDGE stations are alive and well, so it apparently isn't a legal problem for the local gas utility to own public fueling stations.

[Ronwald027]

Re: Pressure cities and counties to provide cng

I understand some of the costs and difficulties, but if the feds subsidize CNG cars at 4 grand; the state provides access to the HOV; the cities could incur some cost. Perhaps the city yard could avoid some of the problems by limiting their hours so that our fueling hours coincided with their business hours. Rather than an in-the-pump credit card reader, they could have an on-the-desk-hooked-to-the-telephone reader. They don't cost much. And, we get and display a card showing we've been tutored on fueling.

[freedml]

Re: Pressure cities and counties to provide cng

The city yards with limited access do just that. But there's still a lot of expense to have a credit card reader. Some cities are 'civic-minded' and some aren't! We could really use ANY access to Blythe, for instance, but they won't even help one of us out when planned in advance (to ferry a car) or in an emergency.

[scottfetsh]

Re: Pressure cities and counties to provide cng

wise gas in florida is currently working with 2 government stations to convert them to public use and with todays loss in tax revenue they are eager to have help with their expenses, but someone has to oversee the project so just going to them and demanding fuel is not enough. they are tight as is and need someone to take it off their sholders. good luck

[Ronwald027]

Re: Pressure cities and counties to provide cng

Perhaps the best approach is to pick a single city and all of us put pressure - write letters to the city, the papers, make speeches - to try and get it done in that city and then go to the next city.

[Gerben]

Re: Pressure cities and counties to provide cng

We have one semi-public government refueling station in the Netherlands. You need a special pass for it, no credit or debit cards. It's not just governments, but also a lot of private companies (e.g. bus companies and garbage companies) have their own refueling sites. A handfull of passenger cars are just not worth the hassle buying a dispenser for and fencing part your terrain off. One tip if you work for a local government: if you plan to support a company that wants to drive on natural gas/biogas, try to get them to open a public dispenser as well. Talk to them about that asap. Gather a coalition of local government and private companies to make the switch together. We have a bus company opening a public station nearby soon. The station was part of the deal for obtaining the concession. I've refueled at bus stations before and expect a 1 minute fill time.