Clean Energy Secures 10-Year Contract at Ontario International Airport to Build, Maintain New Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fueling Station
-- Airport-Adjacent Public Access Station Will Provide 24/7 Support to New Fleets of CNG-Powered Courtesy Shuttle Buses and Taxis --
SEAL BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The City of Los Angeles has awarded a 10-year contract to Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq:CLNE) to design, build, and operate a new public access CNG fueling station at Ontario International Airport (ONT) to serve growing fleets of CNG-fueled airport courtesy shuttle buses, taxicabs and shuttle vans.
CNG fuel requirements at the new Clean Energy/ONT station are expected to top 800,000 gallons each year at full build-out.
ONT provides courtesy shuttle service between the airline terminals, daily parking lots, and the Consolidated Rental Car Facility (RCF). Plans call for the conversion of the entire fleet of airport shuttle buses to CNG power in 2011. In addition, the airport has mandated that all permitted taxicab operators convert 100 percent of their cabs to alternative fuel in the next two years. The new Clean Energy station, located near the RCF, will also be accessible 24/7 to CNG-powered vehicles operating in surrounding communities.
Located 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California, ONT is a medium-hub, full-service airport with commercial jet service to major U.S. cities and through-service to international destinations. The airport is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a unit of Los Angeles municipal government.
Airport Manager Jess Romo said, "We are committed to helping reduce our carbon footprint, in support of the City of Los Angeles 'GREEN LA Action Plan' which focuses on fighting global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We believe that the planned transition of airport vehicles to clean-burning natural gas power will contribute significantly to the success of this effort." Natural gas produces up to 23 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions than diesel fuel in heavy-duty vehicles and up to 30 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline fuel in light-duty and medium-duty vehicles.
James N. Harger, Clean Energy Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said, "We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with the City of Los Angeles/ONT to support their efforts to curb harmful air pollution and global warming emissions. Across the U.S., Clean Energy is partnering with 21 major metropolitan and international airports to help them implement clean-fuel policies."
This contract grows our partnership with LAWA where we have been providing CNG and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Los Angeles International Airport's (LAX) fleet since 1997. LAWA is one of the most progressive agencies in the country. LAX adopted the first LNG-powered parking shuttle fleet in 1994 and later instituted mandates for shared-ride service to use CNG in 2001.
Clean Energy (Nasdaq:CLNE) is the leading provider of natural gas (CNG and LNG) for transportation in North America. It has a broad customer base in the refuse, transit, ports, shuttle, taxi, trucking, airport and municipal fleet markets, fueling more than 17,200 vehicles at 184 strategic locations across the United States and Canada. Clean Energy owns and operates two LNG production plants, one in Willis, TX and one in Boron, CA, with combined capacity of 260,000 LNG gallons per day and designed to expand to 340,000 LNG gallons per day as demand increases. It also owns and operates a landfill gas facility in Dallas, TX that produces renewable methane gas or biogas for delivery in the nation's gas pipeline network. Please 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 amount of CNG to be sold at the Ontario station. 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 the availability and performance of natural gas vehicles and the economic viability of natural gas vehicles. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date of this press release and the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Source: Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
Released October 15, 2009