The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) Board of Directors has approved grant funding awards for public-sector fleet alternative fuel fueling infrastructure projects.

Awarded applicants include: EMBARK and the City of Norman. Both projects include installation of compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling equipment.

EMBARK’s award includes funding for a new CNG fueling facility that will include at least two fast-fill dispensers and 30 time-fill, dual hose dispensers. The facility will be on-site at the EMBARK Operations and Maintenance Facility located at 2000 South May Avenue in Oklahoma City. When the CNG fueling facility becomes operational, there will be a total of 18 buses or 30% of the bus fleet replaced with CNG buses. EMBARK has plans to replace the large majority its bus fleet (over 75 vehicles) to CNG by 2025.

The City of Norman’s awarded project increases the capacity of its current fast-fill CNG station at 2351 Goddard Ave. The increased capacity will help accelerate expansion of Norman’s existing CNG fleet.

A total of $350,000 was awarded to the applicants. Total project costs for applicants is estimated at $2.8 million.

“Our public fleets continue to be leaders in alternative fuel deployments that contribute to the economic, energy, and environmental security for our region” said John G. Johnson, Executive Director of ACOG. “Switching a large fleet like EMBARK’s buses to CNG results in substantial air quality benefits to our region as does City of Norman’s continued CNG fleet growth”

Projects are scored in a completive grant process based on air pollution emissions reductions through replacement of older high-mileage vehicles with new alternative fuel vehicles or new alternative fueling infrastructure.

Of particular concern are reductions in emissions that cause ozone pollution (volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx)) as well as fine particulate matter PM 2.5. Reductions of these pollutants can lead to positive public health outcomes.

The ACOG Public Fleet Clean Air Grant program is funded through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program which provides a flexible funding source for state and local governments to fund transportation projects and programs to help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and its amendments.

For more information, please contact Eric Pollard, Central Oklahoma Clean Cities Coordinator, (405) 234-2264.