Natural gas at station aimed at cutting costs, emissions

The first 10 natural gas-only Ford Transit Connect taxis in Las Vegas are on roads and highways now thanks in part to a newly opened natural fueling station.

Natural gas is a fossil fuel and at the forefront of the alternative fuel movement in the country. It's cheaper than gasoline and has less of a harmful environmental impact, proponents say.

Las Vegas has started small in harnessing the power for everyday use.

The 10 taxis and forthcoming fleets of shuttles and limousines find a fill-up at the Las Vegas/McCarran Airport Compressed Natural Gas fueling station, 4990 Paradise Road.

Clean Energy Fuels, a natural gas distribution network founded in 1997 by energy pioneer T. Boone Pickens, owns and operates the fueling station, which opened in early June.

Those who do not use cabs, limos and shuttles in everyday life can breathe easier thanks to natural gas, Clean Energy Fuels spokeswoman Lindsay Harrison said.

"It will improve their air quality," she said. "It's going to grow substantially as more vehicles are put on the road."

Natural gas is said to produce up to 23 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions in medium-to-heavy-duty vehicles compared to diesel. Smog could be reduced up to 90 percent as more natural gas transportation revs up, Harrison said.

The new Clean Energy Fuels station is one of seven in Southern Nevada and 200 in the country. The company builds, operates and maintains compressed fueling stations for four sectors: airlines, motorized vehicles, regional trucking and refuse.

The company taps into a 200-year supply of natural gas, extracts it, compresses and dispenses it to fill its needs, Harrison said.

Fleets fuel up as if they would at any corner gas station but spend about $1 less per gallon, Harrison said.

If technology advances as many suspect, natural gas-powered vehicles will share the road as commonly as electric- and gas-powered vehicles.

Brent Bell heads Whittlesea Bell Transportation, the company currently testing the 10 taxis powered exclusively by natural gas. By mid-summer, eight 31-passenger buses and some limousines will join the ranks.

Bell said the company explored other alternative fuels, and electric, which takes longer to recharge, didn't fit their business.

"We think this will make sense for us in the long run," he said. "When gas is hovering around $4, this is a great solution for us."

The cabs have been on the road for about two months and fuel up about once a shift, comparable to their gasoline counterparts, Bell said.

"You can't tell the difference in performance or appearance," he added.

The company installed larger tanks in the specially equipped vehicles. Bell said the company has received requests for natural gas-fueled vehicles and said the company is excited to introduce its fleet of shuttles this summer.

For more information on Clean Energy Fuels, call 714-465-0863.

Contact Centennial and Paradise View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.