Grants Gift that Keep on Giving for Alt-Fuel Stations in Warrenville and Glen Ellyn

The City of Warrenville and the Village of Glen Ellyn now have access to compressed-natural gas (CNG) fueling stations at the Blackwell and Churchill Woods forest preserves, according to the summer edition of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's newsletter, The Conservationist.

An intergovernmental agreement allows Warrenville and Glen Ellyn to start cleaner-burning alternative-fuel programs in their fleets without the expense of building their own infrastructures. The fueling stations were funded through federal grants given in 2001 and 2009, obtained with the assistance of the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition. Other local municipalities also may sign agreements to use the fueling stations.

"Most people think of grant money as something that is short term," said John Walton, vice chairman, Chicago Area Clean Cities. "These CNG stations demonstrate that incentives for cleaner-burning American fuels have a lasting impact."

Natural gas powers about 150,000 vehicles in the United States and roughly 15.2 million vehicles worldwide, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuel Data Center (http://www.afdc.energy.gov).

Natural gas vehicles (NGVs), which run on compressed natural gas (CNG), are good choices for high-mileage, centrally fueled fleets that operate within a limited area. For vehicles needing to travel long distances, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a good choice. The advantages of natural gas as a transportation fuel include its domestic availability, widespread distribution infrastructure, low cost, and inherently clean-burning qualities.

"CNG is clean, burning up to 30 percent fewer greenhouse-gas emissions than gasoline," Walton said. "Between 80 and 90 percent of the natural gas used in the U.S. is domestically produced, so there is no need to worry about the politics of the Middle East for its supply. An abundance of natural gas exists in the U.S., available through the same pipelines that deliver it to homes and businesses."

Chicago Area Clean Cities (CACC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit coalition focused on promoting cleaner energy for transportation and automotive fleets in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. CACC is one of nearly 100 coalitions across the country that are affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program, which brings together stakeholders to increase the use of alternative fuel and advanced-vehicle technologies, reduce idling, and improve fuel economy and air quality. CACC concentrates its efforts on educating businesses and municipalities in the six-county Chicago area, including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. To become involved or learn more about the coalition visit www.ChicagoCleanCities.org.