In an effort to expand the awareness and adoption of natural gas and alternative fuels for heavy-duty trucking and goods movement, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) is hosting a series of free workshops in California. The utility kicked off the series on May 12 in Riverside and will continue offering the workshops through October in locations including Los Angeles, Bakersfield and San Diego.
According to the company, current data shows some 200,000 heavy-duty trucks operate in Southern California. The goal of the series is to deliver information to fleet operators and owners to help them understand and assess the economic and environmental benefits of switching to natural gas. Representatives from SoCalGas will join experts on energy policy, environmental regulations and vehicles to discuss such benefits.
‘In addition to delivering cost savings to fleet operators, transitioning heavy-duty diesel trucks to alternative fuels such as natural gas can immediately have a positive impact on the health of Californians and our environment,’ says Rodger Schwecke, vice president of customer solutions for SoCalGas. ‘SoCalGas is pleased to keep our customers informed about ways they may be able to save money, clean up our air, and enhance the goods movement for businesses.’
The utility says compressed natural gas (CNG) holds a cost advantage over diesel, especially in California. A comparison of CNG prices at SoCalGas stations and California diesel prices reported by the U.S. Department of Energy on April 20 shows drivers of heavy-duty trucks can save at least 26% on fuel costs, according to the utility.
More information, including workshop dates, is available here.
