Construction of a compressed natural gas fueling station on North Base began this week. Barring any setbacks, the station should be open for business by October, Norman city officials said.
BY JANE GLENN CANNON jcannon@opubco.com Oklahoman 0 Published: August 25, 2011


NORMAN — Construction of a compressed natural gas fueling station on North Base began this week. Barring any setbacks, the station should be open for business by October, city officials said.




Markers stand where compressed natural gas fueling equipment will be installed at a station being built at 2351 Goddard Ave., just off U.S. 77. PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN STEVE SISNEY


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Compressed natural gas fueling station coming to Norman The station at 2351 Goddard Ave. will fuel the city's 29 compressed natural gas vehicles and be open to the public as well, said Mike White, the city's fleet superintendent.

The $1.65 million station is being funded largely by federal dollars. A $945,000 grant obtained through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is being combined with $200,000 from the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments. The city's share of the price tag is about $530,000, Public Works Director Shawn O'Leary said.

Once the station is up and running, the city will save from $850,000 to $1.2 million in fuel costs over the next five years, O'Leary said.

The station will have 15 slow-fill dispensers, a fast-fill dispenser and a fueling station for the public.

Currently, the city buys compressed natural gas for its vehicles at the University of Oklahoma's fueling station.

The city has a fleet of about 400 vehicles, with a long-range goal of converting 75 percent of that number to compressed natural gas, O'Leary said.

Compressed natural gas costs about 66 percent less than diesel per gallon, the public works director said.

The fuel savings alone makes it worth the investment in compressed natural gas vehicles, he said, “but it's also the right thing to do. It's cleaner and better for the environment.”



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