One of the facilities was built for Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and is the largest fast-fill station in Missouri and the Kansas City region. It allows buses to be fueled in less than seven minutes, and will enable KCATA to fill more than 200 buses nightly. Moreover, the City of Columbia and Clean Energy have opened mid-Missouri’s first CNG station, which will supply fuel to government and private fleets as well as NGVs owned and operated by the general public.
Initially, this fueling station will feature two dispensers for the City of Columbia and one available for public access. Depending on demand, another public dispenser can be added. The city, as well as several departments such as Public Works, Water & Light, and Parks & Recreation, have recently taken delivery of or have on order several natural gas vehicles.
KCATA’s CNG station also was made possible due to a partnership with Clean Energy, which will monitor and maintain the site. Its construction involved an investment of $3.2 million; 80% of the cost was provided by the federal Urbanized Area Formula Grant Program.
The agency currently has 17 natural gas buses in its fleet with eight more arriving next month. The transition from diesel to CNG is expected to save up to $500,000 in fuel in 2015, and up to $4,000,000 per year once the fleet is fully converted over the next dozen years. “This will result in cleaner air, and significant cost savings,” said Dick Jarrold, KCATA Vice President of Regional Planning & Development.
Source: KCATA/City of Columbia
