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Innovative Transportation Solutions and Technologies
For nearly two decades, PG&E has helped advance cleaner, more efficient vehicle technologies for our customers. With the largest natural gas utility fleet in the nation, we also continue to demonstrate leadership with our own vehicles.
Last year, through the 36 compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations we own and operate, we supplied natural gas to more than 200 commercial and private fleets, improving air quality in northern and central California communities.
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 PG&E's fleet includes a hybrid-electric service truck (left) and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (above). |
We also helped our customers qualify for more than $25.9 million in air district, state, and federal grants—up from $6.6 million in 2005. This included organizing a consortium of 19 school districts that received more than $12 million in grants to fully fund 70 natural gas school buses. PG&E also provided extensive support to a Port of Oakland-based trucking firm, which applied for state funding for 30 new CNG trucks and 30 more conversion systems; in doing this, we also helped an underserved community achieve its clean air goals.
Driving Innovation with Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles
PG&E also expanded its leadership role by agreeing to test three hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles made by DaimlerChrysler. Through daily use, PG&E is obtaining the operational experience and technical data needed to help improve the next generation of fuelcell vehicles. PG&E was also awarded a $1.2 million grant to co-fund a state-of-the-art demonstration project to further the hydrogen highway network. Based in San Mateo County, the project will enhance natural gas-to-hydrogen reforming technology and incorporate hydrogen-fueling capability into an existing natural gas station.
In 2006, we also purchased 275 new CNG vehicles, giving PG&E a fleet of more than 1,180 vehicles that run either entirely on CNG or have bi-fuel (gasoline with a separate CNG system) capability. We also successfully tested a 3,000 gallon liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker trailer that can be placed strategically throughout PG&E's system as a temporary LNG fueling station. This was part of an ongoing effort to document safe and effective fueling procedures before placing the trailer into full operation.
As a result of these efforts, as well as vehicle natural gas used by our customers, we avoided the use of more than 15.7 million gallons of petroleum and the emission of approximately 670 tons of NOX, 43 tons of particulate matter and 28,630 tons of CO2.