CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging (CCAAA) Inc. and UGI Utilities Inc. have joined forces on a project that promotes the benefits of “economical, environmentally friendly” natural gas powered vehicles, an all-American transportation fuel alternative to expensive gasoline and diesel costs.
CCAAA is in the process of converting its fleet of 11 cargo vans – used for daily Meals-on-Wheels food deliveries to senior citizens – to operate on compressed natural gas (CNG).
UGI is providing CNG for the vehicles through a fueling station, manufactured by GreenLine Fuels, at CCAAA’s Meal Production and Distribution Facility on Technology Drive.
“Converting our Meals-on-Wheels van fleet to compressed natural gas is a great project that will benefit not only our own organization and the people we serve, but could also be the catalyst to start the growth of a new type of infrastructure and service system for our area,’’ said John Kordish, executive director of CCAAA.
“It would not have been made possible without the encouragement of Lou Stubbs from UGI early in our endeavor.’’
Stubbs, UGI new business representative, added, “I contacted Dave Osterhout (Facilities and Vehicle Manager) and asked him to think about converting their vehicles to natural gas. Fortunately, working together, we were able to get it done.’’
Osterhout said, to date, two of the agency’s 11 cargo vans have been converted to bi-fuel powered (equipped with two fueling systems and tanks that hold unleaded gasoline and CNG). Fuel savings are expected to total $2,500 per year and should increase as more vans are converted to operate solely on CNG. The agency hopes to have the entire fleet converted to CNG operation within a year.
Vehicles powered by CNG generate fewer exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions than their gasoline or diesel-powered counterparts. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, natural gas vehicles offer fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants, and reductions in carbon monoxide emissions of 90 to 97 percent, carbon dioxide emissions of 25 percent, and nitrogen oxide emissions of 35 to 60 percent.
For more information about the Meals-on-Wheels & More and other services provided by the agency, visit their web site at www.ccaaa.net or call 814-765-2696.
The Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc. is a private, non-profit corporation 501(c)(3) established in 1977 as the designated agency to plan, pool and coordinate a comprehensive array of information and services for people over 60 in Clearfield County.
