Natural gas is the most environmentally acceptable and economic alternative fuel for America’s cars, trucks, and buses. Today, over 110,000 natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in the United States, and 12 million worldwide, are already operating safely, cleanly, and economically with compressed natural gas (CNG) as their fuel source.

Natural gas has a number of advantages over other transportation fuels: it burns more cleanly; it costs less; it has a proven safety record; and it is an abundant and secure energy source, with about 98% of the U.S. supply coming from North America. Natural Gas also has a low carbon footprint: it creates 24% less carbon than gasoline or diesel for the same amount of energy produced, it arrives to its users through pipelines instead of roadways, and natural gas does not require refining. Engines that run on natural gas last longer, and maintenance intervals can be extended. The use of natural gas as a transportation fuel is especially ideal for the nation’s 13 million fleet vehicles, many of which can return to the same location each night for refueling. For an idea of the current cost difference between fuels, below is an excerpt from a recent Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report:

 

source: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/uploads/publication/alternative_fuel_price_report_jan_2013.pdf

NGVs in Use Today

Most of the NGVs in the U.S. are used as fleet vehicles. For example, an increasing number of transit agencies are replacing diesel buses with natural gas transit buses. The first public transit system to replace its entire fleet with NGVs was California’s SunLine Transit Agency, whose 40 buses service the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley area southeast of Los Angeles.

The U.S. Postal Service operates the nation’s largest fleet of natural gas vehicles, with more than 7,000. United Parcel Service operates the largest private fleet of NGVs, with over 1,100 package delivery vans fueled with natural gas. Utilities, airport shuttle services, taxi companies, and police departments also operate large fleets of natural gas vehicles.

Local Applications

Valley Ride, which is a public transit system serving the Treasure Valley, began to convert its fleet to natural gas power in 1993. Today, Valley Ride has over 35 natural gas coaches, making up the majority of the fleet. Intermountain Gas Company was instrumental in helping Valley Ride with developing the fueling facility for its ever-growing natural gas bus fleet.

In August of 2009, the Treasure Valley Clean Cities Coalition (TVCCC) received a U.S. Department of Energy grant. This grant assisted Allied Waste, which is the largest refuse and recycling hauler in Idaho, to convert part of its fleet to natural gas. The grant also allowed Allied to build local public fueling facilities, with pumps available in both Ada and Canyon County.

Intermountain Gas Company’s Role

Although Intermountain Gas Company does not provide public fueling at any of our office locations, we are pleased to provide natural gas to public and private natural gas fueling stations. It is also possible to purchase fueling equipment for at-home fueling. For more information about NGVs and home fueling stations, visit the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition website at: www.ngvc.org. There is also a multitude of information about NGVs and home fueling available on the world wide web.

All Intermountain Gas Company customers interested in using compressed natural gas to fuel private or business vehicles must purchase and install their own fueling equipment IGC does not sell, lease, service, or install equipment. The current rate structure for private and public fueling stations is:

Customers who desire to receive the fuel rate for private filling will need to contact Intermountain Gas Company to obtain a separate meter for billing. For more information about bringing gas service to your home or fueling facility for NGV fueling, please fill out our online form below, specifying NGV fueling in the Comments section.

Natural Gas Vehicles FAQ

Q. Is it possible to fuel my vehicle from home?

A. Yes. Intermountain Gas will install a separate gas meter to supply natural gas for your home filling station. For more information about installing a meter for CNG filling, please fill out our online form below, specifying NGV fueling in the Comments section.

Q. Where can I fill a Natural Gas Vehicle in Southern Idaho?

A. Currently there are two public filling stations in Southern Idaho, one in Canyon County and the other in Ada County.