Number of fueling sites jumps 25% in six months, while volumes double
Published in CSP Daily News
AUSTIN, Texas – The number of compressed (CNG) and liquid (LNG) natural gas fueling sites in Texas has jumped 25% in the past six months, according to the latest figures from the Railroad Commission of Texas, the regulatory agency that oversees oil, gas, fuel, mining and other industries in the state.
There are 130 natural-gas fueling sites in Texas–77 of them public–marking a 25% increase from September 2014. Meanwhile, 42 additional fuel sites are being planned and should open in the next 12 to 18 months, according to the commission’s survey.
“The early results are in, and the numbers are promising,” said David Porter, Railroad Commissioner and a proponent of natural gas as a transportation fuel. “We have seen unprecedented growth in Texas’ natural-gas industry; more natural-gas vehicles on the road, more fuel sold and more fueling stations installed.”
In 2013, Porter established the Natural Gas Vehicle Initiative, which aims to educate the public about natural gas as a fueling alternative.
“Fleets are buying more natural-gas vehicles because we have more stations,” Porter said. “And the more vehicles they buy, the more natural-gas stations get built.”
There are more than 7,200 natural-gas vehicles (NGV) in Texas that use the fueling sites. According to the Commission, the state has more NGVs on the road than any other type of alternative-fuel vehicle. As of Sept. 1, 2014, the 130 fueling sites have dispensed 14.6 million gallon equivalents of CNG and LNG, which is double the volume from a year ago.
In related news, in February, CNG 4 America signed an agreement to build a CNG station at the 7 Star Travel Center in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
The station, located off of Interstate 30, will provide CNG for heavy-duty trucks, as well as for medium- and light-duty vehicles.
The station will have four fueling lanes with two CNG fast-fill dispensers.
“This is just the beginning of signing multiple station agreements in North Texas,” said CNG 4 America’s Tim Williams.
Based in Katy, Texas, CNG 4 America currently has three stations open in Bryan, Rosenberg and Katy, with plans to build more stations in Austin, La Porte and San Marcos this year. The company says it expects to build multiple truck-accessible stations annually.