Clean Energy Applauds California Legislation to Accelerate Natural Gas Adoption
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Signed on September 20th by Governor Jerry Brown, Bill 2061 (D-Frazier) will increase the gross vehicle weight limit for diesel-alternative trucks to 82,000 pounds and therefore pave the way for rapid adoption of clean Near-Zero heavy-duty trucks powered by Renewable Natural Gas (RNG).
AB 2061 removes a critical barrier to the improvement of air quality in disadvantaged communities that are impacted by polluting diesel trucks, such as the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, enabling the use of cleaner fuels in heavy-duty vehicles. The Los Angeles Times today reported that Southern California has endured three months without one day of clean air, violating federal smog standards for 87 consecutive days.
The following is a statement by Greg Roche, vice president, Clean Energy Fuel Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE):
“Providing the weight allowance enables fleets to operate natural gas and other alternative technology trucks without being at a disadvantage to diesel trucks. Many trucking applications operate under the weight limitations set by state and federal laws. Enabling natural gas trucks to operate with the same payload as a diesel truck is good for trucking economics and good for the environment.
“Assembly Member Jim Frazier is a transportation visionary who once again found a way to help California’s goods movement industry more easily transition to cleaner trucks without sacrificing a trucks payload. It is innovative leaders like Assembly Member Frazier that will bring practical incentives that bring industry to the table to advance clean air throughout the sector.”
The transportation sector is responsible for about 40 percent of California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and more than 80 percent of the state’s NOx, or smog-forming emissions. Making the switch from diesel to near-zero trucks fueled by RNG, such as Clean Energy’s Redeem™, is vital to achieving the state’s GHG reduction goals and cleaning the air around California’s transportation corridors. Near-zero engines are certified by the EPA and California Air Resource Board to have 90 percent lower emissions of smog-forming NOx than today’s heavy-duty engine standard. Studies by the University of California, Riverside have found that NOx emissions from near-zero engines are 99 percent cleaner than in-use diesel engines. RNG reduces climate pollutants compared to diesel by 70% to even over 100% depending on the renewable energy source.
About Clean Energy
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. is the leading provider of natural gas fuel and renewable natural gas (RNG) fuel for transportation in the United States and Canada, with a network of approximately 530 stations across North America that we own or operate. We build and operate compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas stations (LNG) stations and deliver more CNG, LNG and RNG vehicle fuel than any other company in the United States. Clean Energy sells Redeem™ RNG fuel and believes it is the cleanest transportation fuel commercially available, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%. Clean Energy owns natural gas liquification facilities in California and Texas which produces LNG for the transportation and other markets. For more information, visit www.CleanEnergyFuels.com.
Further Information:
Clean Energy Media Contact:
Raleigh Gerber
949.437.1397
raleigh.gerber@cleanenergyfuels.com
Clean Energy Investor Contact:
investors@cleanenergyfuels.com
