U.S.: First CNG station at a south-eastern university

“Our involvement with the alternative fuels program is a part of the college’s initiative to go green as well as reduce the dependency on foreign oil,” said Tommy Hobbs, business and industry liaison for Lawson State, during the opening of the dispensing point, located next to the Milsaps Industrial Training Center on the Lawson’s Bessemer campus. He also explained that one of the main objectives is to make the community aware of the benefits of using natural gas. 

In turn, Perry W. Ward, president of the college, stated: “We have made another significant leap as we educate on the use of alternative fuels and vehicles. This is our way of staying on the cutting edge and keeping technicians on the cutting edge. We will be the only community college in the southeast to have its own CNG fuelling station.”

Furthermore, the institution will be also purchasing light-duty vehicle conversion kits to be used for training current and future technicians. “As alternative fuels flourish, automotive technicians will be needed to equip and maintain the fleets of tomorrow.  We applaud Lawson State for its commitment to alternative fuels workforce education,” said Mark Bentley, executive director of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition.

The launching was followed by a fuelling demonstration on a bi-fuel Chevy Silverado 2500 HD truck (able to run on natural gas or gasoline) and a 100% CNG-dedicated Honda Civic car. Lawson State through its Corporate Services Division and the Alabama Center has partnerships with General Motors, Ford, and Toyota, and has also participated in a number of alternative fuels training sessions.