Phoenix switching more city trucks to compressed gas
Feb 13, 2013, 3:33 PM | Updated: 3:33 pm
PHOENIX — Fill ‘er up! Phoenix is converting more of its trucks to run on compressed natural gas.
Within the next two months, 20 percent of the trucks that collect garbage and recyclables in Phoenix will run on the cleaner-burning fuel. Vice Mayor Bill Gates said it should cut down on emissions.
“Every single one of these CNG trucks that we put into service, and remove the diesel truck, that’s the equivalent of removing 325 cars off of the road,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”
There’s also an economic benefit to the city. At about $1.50 per gallon, CNG gas costs considerably less than other fuels.
“Because we’re switching the fleet to CNG, we’re going to save $2 million per year for the taxpayers,” Gates said. “That is really remarkable.”
The goal is to have 30 percent of Phoenix’s solid waste trucks running on CNG by the summer of 2014.
