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Pennsylvania Partnership to Promote Natural Gas Vehicles

The Pennsylvania Partnership to Promote Natural Gas Vehicles (P3NGV) offers counties, municipalities, and school districts information on natural gas vehicles (NGVs) and their adoption into fleets that serve the public. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, this program offers workshops, informational materials, and direct technical assistance to municipalities considering adoption of NGVs into their refuse and recycling collection fleets and to school districts considering adoption of NGVs into their bus fleets. This information is also directed to private companies that provide contract services to the public.

DVRPC and its regional partners, the Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance for Clean Transportation (EP-ACT), PECO Energy Company, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW), and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), are piloting these tools, workshops and trainings, and technical assistance in the five counties of southeastern Pennsylvania (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia) and working with Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities to distribute these programs statewide.

Tools

CNG Vehicle Procurement Case Studies

DVRPC researched how several different public sector organizations procured CNG vehicles for their fleets. These are summarized in four different brief case studies, looking at different procurement methods. DVRPC found that available procurement methods present opportunities, not barriers, to CNG vehicle adoption.

Guidebook: Natural Gas For Refuse Fleets In Pennsylvania

This guidebook is intended to help municipalities and private companies in Pennsylvania understand how CNG vehicles can help save money in their refuse services. Both municipalities and private companies that own refuse trucks and municipalities that contract out refuse services will benefit from the Guidebook. The Guidebook describes an overall approach and process for converting a fleet to CNG.

    Workshops and Trainings

    Natural Gas and Propane School Buses Workshop and Tour

    This workshop for school district fleet managers and business officials and companies that contract pupil transportation services to school districts was held twice in mid-October, 2015: once in Lower Merion School District and once in Rose Tree Media School District. The event presented unbiased, expert information on compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane school buses and their associated maintenance and fueling systems. It also included a hands-on tour of CNG fueling facilities and maintenance garages. The event featured presentations by DVRPC; Rhea Courtney Bozic from Clean Fuels Consulting and Greening Your Fleet, LLC; and the Lower Merion, Rose Tree Media, and Council Rock School Districts.

    Webinar: Codes and Permitting for Natural Gas Vehicle Fueling and Maintenance Facilities

    This 90 minute webinar, available for viewing on-line at no cost, provides in-depth information about the codes and permitting requirements for natural gas vehicle maintenance and fueling facilities. It is intended for municipal codes and permitting staff, as well as for those who are considering compressed natural gas (CNG) as a fuel for their fleets (e.g., refuse vehicles or school buses), and are interested in learning about the codes and permitting issues involved. 1.5 UCC Continuing Education hours are available.

    Natural Gas Refuse Vehicle Workshop and Tour

    This workshop for private and municipal refuse vehicle fleet managers highlighted available natural gas refuse vehicles and fueling systems, reviewed maintenance requirements, and featured a hands-on tour of Waste Management’s natural gas vehicles, time- and fast-fill fueling stations, and maintenance facilities. The event featured presentations by DVRPC, Waste Management, Landi Renzo, McNeilus, and ANGI Energy Systems.

    Alternative Fuel Vehicle Educators' Symposium and Vehicle Fair

    This day-long event introduced automotive technology educators to natural gas, propane, and electric drive vehicles. This event featured presentations by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium [4.5 MB pdf], Cummins Power Systems [2.2 MB pdf], and SEPTA [1.7 MB pdf].

    First Responder Safety Training

    This series of trainings, sponsored by DVRPC and offered by the National Alternative Fuel Training Consortium, introduced first responders to tools and techniques that can be employed in response to incidents involving natural gas, propane, and electric drive vehicles.

    CNG Vehicles: Do They Make Sense for My Town?

    This series of workshops for municipal (and other) fleet managers provided an overview of natural gas vehicles and fueling, opportunities for and challenges to their adoption, and Pennsylvania grants and incentives. The workshops featured presentations by EP-ACT [1.8 MB pdf], Waste Management [1.3 MB pdf], Landi Renzo [1.9 MB pdf], Air & Gas Technologies [3.2 MB pdf], PECO [1.4 MB pdf], and PA DEP [0.5 MB pdf].

    Technical Assistance

    DVRPC offers free direct technical assistance to municipalities and school districts considering adoption of natural gas vehicles. For more information, please contact Rob Graff (rgraff@dvrpc.org or 215.238.2826), Manager of the Office of Energy and Climate Change Initiatives.