Natural Gas Provides Truck Fleets with Clean Fuel Alternatives in Pennsylvania

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Apr 22, 2015, 09:10 ET

READING, Pa., April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Penske Truck Leasing and Penske Logistics were among the companies that celebrated Earth Day 2015 and sustainability advancements being made in the transportation sector. The setting in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was the grand opening of a Trillium CNG fueling station, with Wegmans Food Markets; NFI, a supply chain solutions provider; and Gladstein, Neandross and Associates (GNA), clean transportation and energy consultants.

Trillium unveiled a Class-8 public accessible compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in the Highridge Business Park. A total of 23 Penske Truck Leasing leased CNG alternative fuel heavy-duty trucks will be fueled by Penske Logistics, NFI and Wegmans at this location.

The replacement of 23 diesel-powered tractors with CNG-powered tractors will result in a 1.25 million pound annual reduction in CO2 emissions. This significant reduction in emissions is equivalent to the annual emissions of over 150 homes.

The station is on 1.6 acres and will be open continuously. It accepts all major credit cards and fleet cards. The separate dual hose dispenser will allow two trucks to fuel simultaneously and features Trillium CNG's proprietary fast-fill hydraulic intensifier compressor.

To accommodate natural gas truck demand, Penske Truck Leasing modified its nearby 10,400-square-foot Highridge Business Park facility (1304 Keystone Blvd.) that opened in November 2013 so that each of its four truck maintenance bays can service natural gas vehicles.

Public funding was secured for this project.

Here are the GNA-secured 2014 Commonwealth grants being utilized in Schuylkill County:

Penske Truck Leasing: $499,997 in ACT 13 funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (Natural Gas Energy Development Program), to subsidize the purchase of 23 Freightliner Cascadia tractors equipped with Cummins Westport 12-liter engines. NFI is operating 15 of the tractors, while Penske Logistics is making use of five units, and Wegmans is running three trucks.
Trillium CNG: $824,000 via the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (Alternative Clean Energy Program) to subsidize the construction of their fueling station.

"Today is an excellent example of how several organizations can work together and create a success story for the transportation industry to transition to alternative fuels," stated Drew Cullen, Penske Senior Vice President of Fuels and Facilities Services. "We appreciate the opportunity to take a lead role in making this day a reality."

"Trillium CNG is excited to be partnering with NFI, Penske and Wegmans Foods to make CNG available in the area," said Mary Boettcher, Trillium CNG President. "We're confident other fleet operators in the tri-state region will take advantage of the environmental and economic benefits that natural gas provides."

"With the new natural gas fueling station, NFI will be able to further its mission to improve its environmental impact," said Bill Bliem, Senior Vice President Fleet Services at NFI, an EPA SmartWay Transport Partner. "This also allows us to share these benefits with our customers that also prioritize expanding their sustainability efforts."

"We are proud to be part of this event and to be working with partners who share our commitment to sustainability," says David DeMascole, Wegmans' Director of Network Planning. "If our high expectations for environmental and financial performance are met, these will be the first of many tractors using CNG at Wegmans."

Trillium CNG is a leading provider of CNG to fleets and also offers facility design, construction, operations and maintenance services. Our focus is on fueling heavy-duty fleets that require high-performance solutions. Trillium CNG is a business unit of Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE: TEG). Follow us on social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Trillium CNG Blog.

NFI is a fully integrated supply chain solutions provider headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Privately held by the Brown family since its inception in 1932, NFI generates more than $1.1 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 8,000 associates. NFI owns facilities globally and operates 22 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space. Its company-owned fleet consists of over 2,000 tractors and 8,200 trailers, operated by more than 2,600 company drivers and 250 Owner Operators. Its business lines include dedicated transportation, warehousing, intermodal, brokerage, transportation management, global, real estate, trailer storage and solar services. For more information about NFI, visit www.nfiindustries.com or call 1-877-NFI-3777.

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is an 85-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Wegmans has been named one of the '100 Best Companies to Work For' by FORTUNE magazine for 18 consecutive years, ranking #7 in 2015. The company also ranked #1 for Corporate Reputation, among the 100 'most-visible companies' nationwide in the 2014 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient ® study.

Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA) is a leading North American consulting firm specializing in market development for low-emission and alternative fuel vehicle technologies, infrastructure, and fuels for both on and off-road applications. For more than 20 years, GNA has pioneered the nation's largest and most innovative alternative fuel vehicle projects, including the development of several successful clean fuel corridor projects. The firm has secured more than $255 million in funding on behalf of its clients and projects, with a success rate above 90 percent for the nearly 300 applications they have written. In addition to its technical consulting practice, GNA hosts two of North America's leading alternative fuel and advanced vehicle technology conferences—the Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo and the High Horsepower (HHP) Summit. For more information, visit www.gladstein.org.

Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P., headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, is a partnership of Penske Corporation, Penske Automotive Group, General Electric Capital Corporation and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. A leading global transportation services provider, Penske operates more than 216,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 1,000 locations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Product lines include full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, used truck sales, transportation and warehousing management and supply chain management solutions. Visit http://www.GoPenske.com to learn more. Penske Truck Leasing social media: Move Ahead Blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.