Agenda - 01-24-2005-9c - Laserfiche WebLink

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1' 94 �r,. .1- .3 Report of the CNG Siting Staff Work Group January 24, 2005 In June 2004, the Chairs of the Board of County Commissioners and the Orange County Board of Education asked a work group of staff members from the County, Orange County Schools (OCS), and NCDOT to develop recommendations for a planned compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station funded in part by a grant in 2004. Specifically, the Work Group was asked to: 1. Investigate and visit other CNG fueling stations in the area, 2. Explore potential sites in the Hillsborough area owned by the County, OCS and NCDOT, and 3. Make a recommendation on a location for siting of this facility Alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) technology has become an important new component of transportation in the last decade. The worsening of air quality, increases in petroleum -based fuel costs, questions about future availability and domestic supply, and other environmental issues related to the use of fossil fuel vehicles led many local governments and private employers to evaluate, purchase and use AFV technology in other parts of the County and here in North Carolina. Orange County has been interested in alternative fuels and low emission vehicles for several years. In 1999, a work group was formed to examine the status of alternative fuel and low emission vehicle technology and develop recommendations on ways to begin introducing this into the County vehicle fleet. This work group, the Alternative Fuel and Low Emission Vehicle (AFLEV) Work Group, presented recommendations in the spring of 2000 that generally suggested the County begin pursuing both CNG and electric vehicles and infrastructure, through a State grant program that existed at the time. In late 2000, the County did in fact submit the grant application, for the cost differential on purchase of 4 vehicles and a CNG station. However, just as grants were being considered in 2001, the State budget crisis hit and funding for the grant program was held back and eventually taken away. During the next two years, County staff worked to purchase low- emission vehicles and several alternative -fuel capable vehicles where possible (an ethanol fuel known as E85, which is 85% ethanol). At this time 21 County vehicles qualify as low- emission vehicles and 11 County vehicles are E85 - compatible. However, none of the vehicles have used E85 fuel — all have and continue to run on utilize gasoline.