As reported by Charlotte Business Journal, within the next few months Piedmont will file with the N.C. Utilities Commission for approval to conduct a pilot program to sell CNG in the state. There will be later regulatory filings to clarify Piedmont’s role in transporting natural gas for large-fleet customers and to establish the ground rules for building a broader network of stations.
In addition to building its own refuelling centres, Piedmont is bidding on projects to construct stations only for fleet users. It has so far built one station in Tarboro in eastern North Carolina and one at the Daimler Trucks North America plant in Mount Holly. It is negotiating with several municipalities in North Carolina that also want CNG stations to serve its fleets.
The company, which has nearly 50 natural gas vehicles in its fleet of 900, plans to get to 300 NGVs by as early as 2014, and will focus initially on getting businesses to convert fleet units. However, once there are sufficient commercial fleets and a strong supplying network, Piedmont expects to see passenger vehicles increasingly move to methane.
