Clean Energy Renewable Natural Gas To Fuel Trucks For Pennsylvania Refuse Authority, WM, And Others

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December 21, 2022

ESG Review Staff

Switching the station from conventional natural gas to RNG will reduce carbon emissions by 4074 tons (3696 tonnes) each year — the equivalent of removing 803 passenger cars from the road, recycling 1484 tons (1636 tonnes) of waste instead placing it in the landfill, and planting 61,601 trees. (Image Courtesy Of Clean Energy Fuels)

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Clean Energy) announced it is has begun providing renewable natural gas (RNG) for the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority (CCRRA) in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, supporting a transition to a cleaner, low-carbon fuel produced from organic waste. “The recycling and refuse industry has long embraced natural gas to mitigate the impact of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Chad Lindholm, senior vice president of Clean Energy. “Our CCRRA station is one of the first on the East Coast to transition to RNG and will further our sustainability goal of providing RNG at all of our stations by 2025.”

Clean Energy constructed the station, located at 100 Transfer Road, which will provide fuel for both CCRRA vehicles and other fleets, and is expected to dispense an estimated 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of RNG annually. Switching the station from conventional natural gas to RNG will reduce carbon emissions by 4074 tons (3696 tonnes) each year — the equivalent of removing 803 passenger cars from the road, recycling 1484 tons (1636 tonnes) of waste instead placing it in the landfill, and planting 61,601 trees. “As a refuse and recycling authority, we are constantly promoting the benefits of a circular economy by purchasing products generated from the materials we handle daily,” said CCRRA Executive Director Ted Onufrak. “Migrating to RNG is just another example of how closing the loop can be beneficial economically and environmentally.

CCRRA also collaborated with the local WM affiliate to provide RNG as fuel for eight new compressed natural gas (CNG) tractor-trailer units hauling more than 4300 loads of waste annually. This will support WM in meeting its goals of fleet conversion from diesel to RNG. “WM is proud to work with the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority and commends their transition to a cleaner, renewable fleet with RNG,” said Christopher Pilzer, director of sustainable growth for WM Capitol Area. “WM is committed to the growth of our natural gas fleet and investing in renewable energy through RNG. The Centre County RRA’s investment in an RNG fueling station will help support our efforts locally.”

“The Borough of State College has a longstanding commitment to sustainability, and we are continually seeking ways to reduce our carbon footprint and to make our systems and operations more efficient and sustainable. We commend sustainability efforts made by our partners, and CCRRA’s conversion to fleet fuels with lower-carbon emissions is an important step forward,” said State College Borough Mayor Ezra Nanes.