Thirteen commercial transportation organizations in British Columbia (BC) have continued to advance their business and climate action goals despite the COVID-19 pandemic by adopting a combined 144 vehicles fueled by FortisBC’s natural gas.
“BC’s commercial transportation sector accounts for around 40% of the province’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions each year, so it’s a significant area of opportunity for us to reduce emissions quickly,” says Sarah Smith, director of regional LNG and renewable gases at FortisBC. “I’m so proud to see these organizations, many of them staple names in their respective industries, taking significant climate action amidst this pandemic.”
The majority of these new natural gas vehicles (NGVs) are now fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG), which reduces GHG emissions by up to 25% compared to diesel fuel. These adoptions also come with financial benefits, as these organizations are expected to save up to 45% in fuel costs each year. In addition, FortisBC provides incentives to reduce the initial financial commitments associated with adopting NGVs – this year alone FortisBC provided almost $2.3 million dollars in vehicle capital incentives to customers.
Advancing natural gas for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, from truck fleets to buses, is a key avenue towards FortisBC’s 30BY30 target, an ambitious goal to reduce its customers’ GHG emissions by 30% by 2030.
FortisBC Energy Inc. is a regulated utility focused on providing safe and reliable energy, including natural gas, propane and thermal energy solutions. FortisBC Energy Inc. employs more than 1,800 British Columbians and serves approximately 1,008,400 customers in 135 B.C. communities.
For more information on FortisBC’s commitment to transitioning the transportation sector to natural gas, click here.
