Clean Cities Atlanta Petroleum Reduction Program Gains Momentum Heading into New Year
2011 ends strongly as the team adds Atlanta Airport Marriott as a partner and breaks ground at the Seminole Road Landfill
Atlanta, GA - The Clean Cities Atlanta Petroleum Reduction Program brought 2011 to a successful close by adding two more compressed natural gas (CNG) shuttles to the Program's fleet. In addition to the shuttles, the Program also celebrated groundbreaking at the Landfill Gas-to-Compressed Gas conversion facility at DeKalb County's Seminole Road Landfill in October.
Both of these milestones illustrate the ongoing successful progression of the Clean Cities Atlanta Petroleum Reduction Program, whose goal is to increase the supply, availability, and use of alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles in the Atlanta area.
The two CNG shuttle buses will operate at the Atlanta Airport Marriott as part of the Program's planned 210 alternative fuel vehicles. Mark Spanka, General Manager of Atlanta Airport Marriott stated that the Atlanta Airport Marriott is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, and to "helping to maintain a clean, safe environment for everyone."
In addition to Marriott's CNG shuttles, more than 80 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles have been deployed by Program partners in 2011, including City of Atlanta - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Coca-Cola Refreshments, and The Parking Spot. In order to support these vehicles and also increase the region's use of CNG, PS Energy is currently constructing 4 CNG fueling facilities in the Greater Atlanta area as part of the Program. DeKalb County and American Fueling Systems are also implementing CNG stations.
The Seminole Road Landfill Gas to Renewable Natural Gas (LNG-to-RNG) generation facility will provide cleaner and cheaper fuel to DeKalb County, which is estimating a savings of $3 million over the next 8 years as compared to the cost of diesel fuel. Several commissioners and the local media attended the groundbreaking event of the new facility.
The Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) , who awarded $14.9 million to the program as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The program includes $24.5 million in local cost share, contributing to a project total of $39.5 million. The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) leads the public/private partnership with the goal to reduce dependence on petroleum and lower harmful emissions in Metro Atlanta.
"The program has had an excellent year, and the public is becoming more and more aware of the effort we are putting forth to improve Atlanta's air quality. We hope that this success leads to an increased effort to reduce harmful emissions and petroleum use in our area," said Steve Clermont, CTE's Senior Project Manager.
About CTE
The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization based in Atlanta, Georgia that develops technologies and implements solutions to achieve energy and environmental sustainability. Since its founding in 1993, CTE has managed a portfolio of more than $225 million in federal, state, and local cost-shared research, development, and demonstration projects involving more than 200 organizations in the advanced transportation technology field. CTE has facilitated and leveraged funding for its projects and initiatives from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, Interior, and Transportation, as well as from the U.S. Army and NASA, among many others.
