America’s Natural Gas Highway (ANGH) will offer 150 liquefied natural gas (LNG) stations throughout the United States by 2013. This project was the subject of a press release by Clean Energy Fuels Corporation, which promised to develop 70 LNG stations by the end of this year. Clean Energy Fuels released upcoming locations for LNG stations throughout the United States last week. The locations of the ANGH’s stations are clustered along heavily traveled highways where trucking companies and manufacturers conduct most of their business.
Clean Energy Fuels is working with Pilot-Flying J Travel Centers to power the next generation of commercial vehicles. Pilot-Flying J Travel Centers are part of America’s largest network of truck stops with 550 stations spread across 47 states. The ANGH and Pilot-Flying J have agreed to split costs on refitting existing stations for LNG pumps over the next two years. This partnership allows the ANGH to leverage traffic through a trusted industry partner. Clean Energy Fuels notes that the first round of LNG stations will be installed along highways connecting San Diego to Las Vegas, Houston to Dallas and Los Angeles to Dallas. These stations will also be installed on highways stretching from Alabama to Illinois in order to facilitate long-haul trucking through the heart of America.
The pace of development has been expedited to account for an onslaught of natural gas vehicles hitting the market soon. The addition of 150 LNG stations to the ANGH will allow trucking companies with Class-8 trucks to stay on the road. Manufacturers like Caterpillar, Kenworth and Navistar are producing alt-fuel trucks including LNG-powered models at present. This synthesis of infrastructure and alt-fuel vehicle development is a model for automakers, utilities and other businesses involved in the passenger vehicle market.
The ANGH is a $450 million investment by Clean Energy Fuels and international businesses interested in boosting natural gas in the United States. Chesapeake Energy Corporation invested $150 million in Clean Energy Fuels while $300 million in domestic and foreign investments provide capital for the ANGH. These investors are looking beyond the commercial trucking industry in the next five years to broaden their influence. Clean Energy Fuels has developed 63 CNG and LNG stations for public transit systems and sanitation companies as of December 2011. A well-developed ANGH would allow businesses working within the United States to invest more heavily in alternative fuels.
