[Graeme]

Clean Energy Unveils Backbone Network for America’s Natural Gas Highway

150 LNG Truck Fueling Stations Enabling Goods Movement
Coast-to-Coast and Border-to-Border Anticipated by End of 2013

The route plan for the first phase of 150 new LNG fueling stations for America’s Natural Gas Highway (ANGH) was unveiled on January 12, by Clean Energy Fuels Corp., provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America. The company has identified 98 locations and anticipates having 70 stations open by the end of 2012 in 33 states.


Many of the fueling stations will be co-located at Pilot-Flying J Travel Centers already serving goods movement trucking through an exclusive agreement with Pilot to build, own and operate natural gas fueling facilities at agreed-upon travel centers. Pilot-Flying J is the nation’s largest truck-stop operator with more than 550 retail properties in 47 states.

Major highway segments planned for early opening include, among others, those linking San Diego-Los Angeles-Riverside-Las Vegas; the Texas Triangle (Houston-San Antonio-Dallas/Ft. Worth); Los Angeles-Dallas; Houston-Chicago; Chicago-Atlanta; and a network of stations along major highways in the mid-west region (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Montana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama) to serve the heavy trucking traffic in the area.

Scheduled for completion during 2012 and 2013, the 150 first-phase stations coincide with the expected arrival of new natural gas truck engines well suited for heavy-duty, over-the-road trucking. Engine manufacturers and original equipment truck manufacturers such as Cummins-Westport, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Navistar, Freightliner and Caterpillar are expected to have Class-8 trucks available in engine sizes allowing for varied road and driving requirements.

“We are moving quickly to build this important network in order to support the new trucks,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, Clean Energy’s President and CEO. “Already, Clean Energy has engaged over 100 shippers, private fleets and for-hire carriers that have shared their operations to qualify the economic opportunity of operating natural gas trucks, which has helped us, in turn, plan the first phase of the natural gas fueling highway.”

ngvglobal

[TheAntiDoomer]

Wasn't it PStarr that told us this is impossible? FYI, Natural Gas is 2.55 right now!!!

[TheAntiDoomer]

Still at 2.55. Art Berman are you out there????????

[seahorse3]

Graeme posted the sales pitch for Clean Energy Fuels, now here's the analyst take - its going nowhere (unforunately I will add).

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/01/12/this-just-in-clne.aspx

[Graeme]

SeekingAlpha begs to differ. They have just published this story:

America's Natural Gas Highway: The Only Energy Policy That Makes Sense Starting To Take Shape

On January 12 Clean Energy (CLNE) announced more details of the planned "Natural Gas Highway". The company has identified 98 locations and plans to have 70 stations open by the end of 2012 in 33 states. Here is a map of the company's planned refueling locations:

The first phase of the plan will be completed by 2013 and will include 150 natural gas refueling stations. Phase 1 is targeting major highway hubs including: the San Diego-Los Angeles-Riverside-Las Vegas cluster and the Texas Triangle (Houston-San Antonio-Dallas/Ft. Worth); CLNE is also targeting high use long-haul routes like Los Angeles-Dallas; Houston-Chicago; Chicago-Atlanta; and a network of stations along major highways in the mid-west region (IL, IN, OH, MO, KY, TN, KS, OK, AL) to serve the heavy trucking traffic in the area.

This is great news for America as the only significant energy policy that makes sense (and cents) is beginning to take shape. With natural gas prices more than $1.50/gallon less than gasoline derived from foreign oil, America will look back on this effort as a real turning point in this country's energy and economic strength.

seekingalpha

[Graeme]

And these initiatives announced in Obama's Energy Plan are relevant to this project:

•The lease sale of 7,250 unleased blocks covering 38 million acres in the central Gulf of Mexico could yield 1 billion barrels of oil and 4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The minimum bid for these leases will be nearly triple the previous amount. This could raise nearly $4 billion if companies lease every available acre. The leases will stipulate that companies must develop these areas promptly or risk losing them, which should increase oil and gas production.

•The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) — will announce a new research competition to develop innovative methods to use natural gas as transportation fuel. Hopefully, this contest will lead to the development and deployment of breakthrough technologies that can dramatically reduce oil use and pollution, create new jobs, and save drivers money.


The “New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act of 2011,” sponsored by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Harry Reid (D-NV), and Richard Burr (R-NC), “would extend tax credits for natural gas vehicles and building refueling infrastructure, and be fully paid for by a temporary user fee on natural gas used as a vehicle fuel.”

A CAP analysis estimates that deployment of 3.5 million natural gas fueled trucks and buses could reduce oil use by over 1 million barrels per day.