Filling Up Naturally …. City finds new way to pump gas
By John Geluardi Saturday July 28, 2001
Berkeley Daily Planet Vol. 3 Issue 95

Fuel station will be used by several public agencies
When politicians and city officials gather for a ribbon cutting ceremony there’s usually enough hot air generated to inflate a fleet of air balloons ... or, in this case, fuel a few city vehicles.

Deputy Director of Public Works Patrick Keilch emceed the grand opening of Berkeley’s first compressed natural gas station. About 25 people attended the ceremony including Mayor Shirley Dean and a cadre of city and state officials.
The new CNG station, located at the end of Second Street near Harrison Street, will pump compressed gas vapors into the fuel tanks of vehicles owned by the city, state and local businesses.

City officials said CNG burns 75 percent cleaner and increases the longevity of engines by about 50 percent as a result of reduced carbon buildup common in vehicles that use liquid gas or diesel fuels.
“These vehicles are much cleaner burning and much longer lasting,” said Department of Public Works Fleet Manager Bill Ivie.
Keilch said the CNG fuel costs about five to 10 percent less per mile than liquid gas.

Environmental Planner Matthew Nichols, of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, estimated that one Berkeley refuse program, which will use seven CNG-fueled garbage trucks, will reduce 4,600 pounds of pollutants that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere every year.

The facility, which compresses the same natural gas used for residential heaters and stoves, costs nearly $500,000. At the site, natural gas will be drawn from PG&E lines and then compressed before being pumped into vehicles.

The project was funded by the BAAQMD, the California Energy Commission and Trillium USA, a privately-owned company that will operate the facility. The city of Berkeley contributed administrative support and about $25,000.

The fuel station will be used by a variety of public agencies including the city of Berkeley, the city of Albany and UC Berkeley. Some of the businesses that will use the station are American Soil, Acme Bread Company and the San Francisco International Airport Shuttle Service.

Currently, the department of public works uses six CNG Pickup trucks and the police department uses four CNG patrol cars.

“We have the seven garbage trucks on order as well as three other vehicles on the way,” said DPW Fleet Manager Bill Ivie. “Now that we have the infrastructure the number of CNG vehicles will snowball.”

Dean said the project is the type of public-private association she would like to see more of.

“This is wonderful,” she said. “We’re getting cleaner and this fuel is [not as] hard on the engines.”

Peter Ward, a fuel manager for the California Energy Commission, said CNG fuel stations are becoming popular. “There are about 100 public CNG fuel stations throughout the state and another 100 stations for private use,” he said. “That’s compared to 10,500 gas stations, so we have a long way to go.”

The CNG vehicles are purchased with stock vapor-burning fuel systems and, in the case of the new Ford trucks used by the DPW, cost about $4,500 more than a regular vehicle. The additional cost is paid with grant money from the BAAQMD, which distributes about $20 million annually for projects that reduce pollution emissions.

Community Environmental Advisory Commissioner L A Wood attended the ceremony and said he has supported the CNG fuel station for years and was glad it finally opened with one reservation.

“The city should of done the minimum environmental review,” he said. “Vehicles will be coming all the way across town from the university to fuel up and there’s other contaminants that automobiles put in the air besides fuel emissions.”

COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) STATION July 27, 2001 Grand Opening PRESS RELEASE

Berkeley's first ultra-low emission Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station grand opening was held, Friday, July 27 at the new station at 1101 2nd Street in West Berkeley. Video excerpt includes comments by Patrick Keilch, Berkeley Deputy Director of Public Works, and the ribbon cutting by Mayor Shirley Dean.

Energy’s Press release “In a joint public-private venture, the innovative new CNG station is on City of Berkeley property while the station equipment is owned and operated by Trillium USA under a license with the City. This station joins California's growing number of alternative fuel stations providing fuel for ultra-low emission CNG vehicles. Berkeley welcomes this station that will help us meet environmental clean air goals.”

The California Energy Commission's Transportation Fund for Clean Air and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District provided funding for the station as part of their commitment to support ultra-low emission fuels, thereby reducing pollutants in the air.

To improve protection of air quality, the City of Berkeley began purchasing ultra-low emission CNG vehicles in 1997 for Public Works and Police vehicles along with its electric vehicles. As the new CNG station opens, the City of Berkeley continues to increase its fleet of CNG vehicles including sedans, trucks, refuse and recycling vehicles, a health and human services mini-bus, and other specialty vehicles.”

Nearby businesses and agencies that already have CNG vehicles look forward to using this centrally located station. They include the Acme Bread Co., Berkeley Unified School District University of California, City of Albany, American Soil, Pacific Gas and Electric, and San Francisco Airport Shuttle Service, and State of California. In order to fill up a vehicle, drivers will need an access card and can receive one from Trillium USA by calling toll-free 1-800-920-1166. Trillium USA operates CNG fueling stations from Long Island, New York to Los Angeles to the San Francisco Airport. Trillium has participated in construction of over 50 natural gas fueling stations serving public and private vehicles. Station sizes range from small fleet demonstration stations to high-capacity transit fueling facilities.

The City of Berkeley and Trillium USA look forward to seeing you at the Grand Opening. For more information, please contact Patrick Keilch, Deputy Director of Public Works or Bill Ivie, Equipment Superintendent, City of Berkeley at 510.644-6620.