Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) and UGI Energy Services, Inc. LLC (UGIES) have gone into a partnership to use Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) to power the 80-plus buses in LANTA’s fleet.
At a press conference in Allentown, Pa., the companies held a ceremonial First-Fill at LANTA’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station at its main operating garage. The agreement between LANTA and UGIES calls for the agency to purchase Pennsylvania-sourced clean biogas fed into the system from area landfills.
RNG is the gaseous product of the decomposition of organic matter that has been processed to purity standards. Like conventional natural gas, renewable natural gas can be used as a transportation that powers LANTA buses. RNG qualifies as an advanced biofuel under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard of 2005.
“This cooperation between LANTA and UGI Energy Services is an exceptional example of a public-private partnership that FTA and this administration wish to foster. I congratulate LANTA and UGI, as well as agency representatives, board members and all who have been involved in making this innovative transit project happen," said Terry Garcia Crews, Federal Transit Administration’s region 3 regional administrator.
“We are excited to partner with LANTA in providing RNG to fuel their transportation fleet,” said UGIES President Joe Hartz. “This project marks a milestone, as this is the first agreement in Pennsylvania for a public transportation agency to fuel their vehicles with RNG. We are proud to help LANTA and the Lehigh Valley reduce emissions while lowering their carbon footprint.”
