Government, Ports and Air Quality Leaders Open First Natural Gas Truck Fuel Station to Support Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports' Historic Clean Air Action Plan
SEAL BEACH, Calif., Dec 11, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq:CLNE), North America's leader in clean transportation, hosted opening ceremonies today at a major new liquefied natural gas (LNG) truck fueling station designed specifically to support the goals of the San Pedro Bay Ports' historic Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). The new station is the first of three that Clean Energy plans to build in the near future to serve new port drayage trucks powered by clean-burning LNG fuel.
"Just one year after the announcement of the joint Ports' Clean Air Action Plan, we are here today to mark the opening of this new ultra modern LNG truck fuel station. Natural gas is one of the best ways to reduce air pollution because it burns far cleaner than diesel fuel, reducing harmful tailpipe emissions significantly," said Andrew Littlefair, Clean Energy's President and CEO.
The CAAP anticipates the replacement of more than 16,000 old diesel trucks with several thousand new LNG trucks, as well as new or converted diesel trucks that meet specifications for reduced particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions, in order to meet harbor drayage requirements. This movement to cleaner LNG trucks, featuring the Westport Innovations LNG fuel system, will result in significantly decreased harmful greenhouse gas (CO2), NOx and particulate emissions.
The CAAP seeks to reduce overall harmful diesel fuel emissions from port sources by nearly 50 percent in five years.
"We applaud the Los Angeles and Long Beach Mayors and Harbor Commissions, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and private industry for merging efforts to quickly address and mitigate the greenhouse gas and toxic air contaminants that are emitted daily by the thousands of diesel-powered trucks that serve the San Pedro Bay Ports," Clean Energy's Littlefair added.
Special guest speakers at the Dec. 11 event included: Boone Pickens, energy industry leader and Clean Energy founder; City of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; City of Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster; David Freeman, Los Angeles Harbor Commission President; Mario Cordero, Long Beach Harbor Commission President; Brian Griley, Southern Counties Express CEO; Alan Lowenthal, California State Senator, 27th District; Matt Haber, Deputy Director, Air Division, EPA-West; Chung Liu, Chief Scientist and Deputy Executive Officer for Science & Technology Advancement, SCAQMD; and Michael Gallagher, President and COO, Westport Innovations.
The new station is located adjacent to Southern Counties Express (SCE), a Port trucking firm. SCE expects to put 71 new LNG-fueled trucks on the road in the next two months, with the first group set for deployment by mid-December. The trucks were purchased in part with financial aid from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). Nine other Port trucking firms have also committed to the new LNG trucks in the initial deployment for a total of 158 clean LNG trucks.
To help meet expanding Ports and other heavy-duty vehicle requirements, Clean Energy is currently building California's first large-scale LNG production plant in the Mojave Desert, approximately 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles. At the new plant, Clean Energy will liquefy pipeline gas for shipment to customers by tanker trailers. Initial production capacity is anticipated to be 160,000 LNG gallons per day, with a potential for expansion, as needed, up to 240,000 gallons per day.
About Clean Energy
Clean Energy, based in Seal Beach, CA, 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, intrastate and interstate trucking, airport and municipal fleet markets, fueling more than 15,000 vehicles daily at over 175 strategic locations across the United States and Canada. Information at: www.cleanenergyfuels.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press 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. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, including the financial impact of unanticipated delays in LNG truck deployment, higher than anticipated station construction costs and delays in demand for LNG as a vehicle fuel. 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.
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. Christine Thomas, 310-559-4955, ext. 103, Cell: 310-922-5897 cthomas@cleanenergyfuels.com or Investors: John Mills/Ina McGuinness, 310-954-1100
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