Big Blue Bus, Fueling a Renewable Future One Bus at a Time
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. – The City of Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus (BBB) announced today that it has become one of the country’s first municipal transit authorities to convert its fleet to renewable natural gas (RNG), rated 90% cleaner than diesel and is considered the cleanest transportation fuel available. Earlier this year, BBB modified its original agreement with Clean Energy Fuels Corp (Nasdaq: CLNE) to transition the supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for its fleet to Clean Energy’s Redeem™ renewable LNG (Redeem™), which is non-fracked methane produced by processing biogas generated from organic waste in landfills.
With the announcement, BBB unveiled a new Bus ad campaign called “Bigger, Bluer, Skies” to emphasize the lower emissions and sustainability of this type of fuel.
“City Council has voiced its support for non-fracked, sustainable sources of fuel, and Redeem™ delivers a fuel made entirely of waste; a more sustainable product at an equal cost. This makes BBB’s partnership with Clean Energy to use the Redeem™ fuel a win-win solution,” said BBB’s Transit Director, Ed King.
The City of Santa Monica is a nationally recognized leader for its sustainability policies and actions. BBB has progressively contributed to the City’s sustainability narrative through its use of alternative fuel and ultimate phasing out of diesel-fueled motor coaches. Through this commitment, clean burning and renewable natural gas now power BBB’s entire fleet. The modification to the original agreement with Clean Energy to furnish and deliver renewable methane gas, as a replacement for traditional Liquid Natural Gas, is cost neutral to the City. The addition of Redeem™ is a next step in BBB’s and the City’s sustainability portfolio.
“Big Blue Bus is a leader in sustainability and our ability to partner with it and provide a completely recyclable natural gas fueling option helps reduce emissions locally and shows other cities the power in using Redeem™ renewable fuel,” said Peter Grace, Clean Energy’s senior vice president for sales and finance.
For more information about the BBB’s Redeem fueling success story click here.
About Redeem™:
Redeem is the first commercially available, renewable natural gas vehicle fuel. It is derived entirely from organic waste sources and is available as compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). Redeem is produced from renewable natural gas production facilities owned and operated by Clean Energy and from third-party producers.
Redeem provides a significant reduction in carbon emissions when displacing diesel, gasoline or fossil natural gas. According to California Air Resources Board estimates, fueling with Redeem provides a 90% reduction in carbon emissions, compared to a baseline of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD). Redeem is 100% renewable: it is derived from biogenic methane that is naturally generated by the decomposition of organic waste at landfills and agricultural waste sources. Capturing and combusting this methane, which might have otherwise migrated to the atmosphere, results in a low or negative carbon footprint (when biomethane is produced from a food or animal waste digester or wastewater treatment plant). Redeem fulfills the same fueling needs as conventional CNG and LNG and requires no additional infrastructure or technology to be implemented by fleets already fueling with natural gas.
Learn more about how Redeem is made by watching this short video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VapWtJGVEw
About the Big Blue Bus
Big Blue Bus operates a fleet of 200 vehicles transporting more than 61,000 passengers daily across a 51-square mile service area. Nationally recognized for its long-standing commitment to a cleaner environment, the entire fleet operates on alternative fuels, including liquefied and compressed natural gas (LNG/CNG), which helps to cut emissions by over 80 percent. Serving Santa Monica and the Los Angeles area since 1928, Big Blue Bus has won numerous awards for its customer service, safety and efficiency.
Big Blue Bus Energy Media Contact:
Suja Lowenthal
310.458.1975, ext. 6920
Suja.Lowenthal@smgov.net
Clean Energy Media Contact:
Gary Foster
949.437.1000
Gary.Foster@cleanenergyfuels.com
