The route plan for the first phase of 150 new LNG fueling
stations for America’s Natural Gas Highway (ANGH) was
unveiled today by Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE), the
leading provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North
America. The company has identified 98 locations and anticipates
having 70 stations open by the end of 2012 in 33 states.
Many of the fueling stations will be co-located at Pilot-Flying
J Travel Centers already serving goods movement trucking through an
exclusive agreement with Pilot to build, own and operate natural
gas fueling facilities at agreed-upon travel centers. Pilot-Flying
J is the nation's largest truck-stop operator with more than 550
retail properties in 47 states.
Major highway segments planned for early opening include, among
others, those linking San Diego-Los Angeles-Riverside-Las Vegas;
the Texas Triangle (Houston-San Antonio-Dallas/Ft. Worth); Los
Angeles-Dallas; Houston-Chicago; Chicago-Atlanta; and a network of
stations along major highways in the mid-west region (IL, IN, OH,
MO, KY, TN, KS, OK, AL) to serve the heavy trucking traffic in the
area.
Scheduled for completion during 2012 and 2013, the 150
first-phase stations coincide with the expected arrival of new
natural gas truck engines well suited for heavy-duty, over-the-road
trucking. Engine manufacturers and original equipment truck
manufacturers such as Cummins-Westport, Kenworth, Peterbilt,
Navistar, Freightliner and Caterpillar are expected to have Class-8
trucks available in engine sizes allowing for varied road and
driving requirements.
“We are moving quickly to build this important network in order
to support the new trucks,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, Clean
Energy’s President and CEO. “Already, Clean Energy has engaged over
100 shippers, private fleets and for-hire carriers that have shared
their operations to qualify the economic opportunity of operating
natural gas trucks, which has helped us, in turn, plan the first
phase of the natural gas fueling highway.”
Littlefair noted that the ANGH stations are in addition
to the station building planned for the company’s traditional
markets in transit, refuse, airport/taxi/shuttle and local/regional
trucking, which activity accounted for 63 station projects in
2011.
In July 2011, in a major alliance supporting the transition of
trucking from diesel to natural gas fuel, Chesapeake Energy
Corporation (NYSE: CHK), the nation’s second largest natural gas
producer, committed an investment of $150 million in Clean Energy
to help fund the development of America’s Natural Gas
Highway. In September 2011, a group of international investors
committed an additional $150 million, and in December 2011, another
$150 million was invested, bringing the total investment in Clean
Energy in 2011 for fueling station infrastructure development and
other capital projects to $450 million.
Currently priced up to $1.50 per gallon lower than diesel or
gasoline (depending upon local markets), the use of natural gas
fuel reduces costs significantly for vehicle and fleet owners, and
reduces greenhouse gas emissions approximately 23% in medium to
heavy-duty vehicles. Additionally, natural gas is a secure North
American energy source with 98% of the natural gas consumed
produced in the U.S. and Canada.
Clean Energy (Nasdaq: CLNE) is the largest provider of
natural gas fuel for transportation in North America and a global
leader in the expanding natural gas vehicle market. It has
operations in CNG and LNG vehicle fueling, construction and
operation of CNG and LNG fueling stations, biomethane production,
vehicle conversion and compressor technology.
Today Clean Energy fuels over 25,000 vehicles at 273 strategic
locations across the United States and Canada with a broad customer
base in the refuse, transit, trucking, shuttle, taxi, airport and
municipal fleet markets. Clean Energy del Peru, a joint venture,
fuels vehicles and provides CNG to commercial customers in Peru. We
own (70%) and operate a landfill gas facility in Dallas, Texas,
that produces renewable natural gas, or biomethane, for delivery in
the nation’s gas pipeline network, and we plan to build a second
facility in Michigan. We own and operate LNG production plants in
Willis, Texas and Boron, Calif. with combined capacity of 260,000
LNG gallons per day and that are designed to expand to 340,000 LNG
gallons per day as demand increases. NorthStar, a wholly owned
subsidiary, is the recognized leader in LNG/LCNG (liquefied to
compressed natural gas) fueling system technologies and station
construction and operations. BAF Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned
subsidiary, is a leading provider of natural gas vehicle systems
and conversions for taxis, vans, pick-up trucks and shuttle buses.
IMW Industries, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary based in Canada, is
a leading supplier of compressed natural gas equipment for vehicle
fueling and industrial applications with more than 1,200
installations in 24 countries. For more information, visit
www.cleanenergyfuels.com.
Forward-Looking Statements — This news release contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions,
including statements about the number and location of stations to
be included in the natural gas highway system, the timing for the
completion of construction of these stations, the availability and
deployment of, as well as the demand for, heavy duty natural gas
truck engines, and the potential for a natural gas highway system.
Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially
from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a
result of several factors, including permitting or other delays
encountered during the identification of locations for, and the
construction of, natural gas fueling stations, including those
stations for the natural gas highway, the performance, availability
and price of natural gas vehicles relative to gasoline and diesel
vehicles and the price per gallon of natural gas relative to diesel
and gasoline. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only
as of the date of this press release and, unless otherwise required
by law, the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update
such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or
circumstances.
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