TTD Board Meeting
May 11, 2012
Embassy Suites
Stanford Room
4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Download May Meeting Packet 
New South Tahoe Transit Information
Please follow this LINK
Notice of Preparation
Notice of Preparation of a TRPA Draft EIS and CEQA Draft EIR for the State Route (SR)
89 /Fanny Bridge Community Revitalization Project
View Notice
Notice of Preparation/Notice of IntentNotice of Preparation (NOP) of a CEQA Draft EIR and TRPA Draft EIS and Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare a Draft EIS for the US 50/South Shore Community Revitalization Project. View Notice
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In keeping with the Tahoe Transportation District charter of facilitating and implementing safe, environmentally positive, multi-modal transit, TTD, in partnership with Pinnacle CNG Systems, operates a 24-hour, self-serve compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station at 1901
Airport Road in South Lake Tahoe. Visa, Mastercard and the Pinnacle fleet card are accepted.
For more information on the TTD CNG program, please contact us at (775) 589-5500 or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
To find out more about CNG, read on.
What is CNG?
This fossil fuel substitute for gasoline remains clear, odorless
and non-corrosive and is more environmentally clean. Although vehicles can use natural gas in either
liquid or gaseous form, most use gas, compressed to
pressures above 3,100 pounds psi.
Where does it come from?
More than 99 percent of the natural gas used in the U.S. comes from
domestic or other North American sources. However, growing demand
for natural gas in power plants will require new supplies from
non-North American countries. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts
that by 2025, more than 15 percent of our natural gas supplies will be
imported from countries other than Canada and Mexico.
How is natural gas produced?
Most natural gas comes from three types of wells: natural
gas-and-condensate wells, oil wells, and coal bed methane wells. In
2003, California had over 1,200 natural gas-and-condensate wells
operating. Well-extracted natural gas requires a cleanup process before
it can be used in vehicles or residences.
How is it delivered?
California produces 15.4 percent of its natural gas. The rest is
imported by pipeline from Canada and the Rocky Mountain and
Southwestern states. Gas utilities, such as PG&E, The Gas Company,
Southwest Gas, and SDG&E, distribute the fuel to stations. Most CNG
stations are owned and operated by private companies and local
governments.
The City of South Lake Tahoe has installed a compressor and slow-fill system for overnight use by its CNG vehicles. The TTD station is open to the public and has one compressor with a more consumer-friendly fast-fill system and two hoses dispensing at 3,000 psi and 3,600 psi.
How is natural gas stored?
At CNG stations, the gas is usually sourced from the local gas utility line
at a low pressure. It's then compressed and kept in storage tanks at
high pressure. CNG can be stored and distributed in hard containers, usually in cylindrical or spherical shapes, at a pressure of 2900–3600 psi. In
smaller fueling locations and on vehicles, these containers are thick-walled steel, aluminum, or composite tanks built to last 20-plus
years.
Is it flammable?
Because natural gas is lighter than
air, it quickly dissipates when released from tanks. It can become flammable, however, when the ratio of natural gas is between 5 and 15 percent. At under 5 percent, there isn't enough of the fuel to burn, while at over 15 percent, there isn't
enough oxygen.
What are the benefits of using natural gas in transportation?
Natural
gas vehicles show an average reduction in ozone-forming emissions of 80
percent compared to gasoline vehicles. This alternative is not only cleaner burning than gasoline or diesel fuel, but can also be produced worldwide at relatively
low cost. Maintenance costs for natural gas vehicles (NGV) are also lower, by comparison to other fuel-powered vehicles. Fouling of spark plugs is eliminated and lubricating oils have a longer life.
Who's driving CNG vehicles?
A wide variety of vehicles are being produced/converted for CNG, from private and commercial light-duty trucks and passenger cars, to city and county transit buses, street sweepers and school
buses. In California, transit agency buses are some of the most visible
CNG vehicles, like the TTD's fleet of 12. The City
of South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Placer County, El
Dorado County and U.S. Forest Service also operate CNG-powered
vehicles.
Where is CNG fuel available?
With the nationwide consumption of CNG increasing 145 percent over the
past six years, the fueling infrastructure for natural gas vehicles
continues to grow. In California alone, there are nearly 150 public CNG stations in 110 cities. Alt Fuel Prices.com provides location listings, maps and current pricing for CNG as well as biodiesel, ethanol, electric charging, hydrogen, LNG (liquefied natural gas) and LPG (liquefied propane gas) stations throughout the U.S.
Is home refueling possible?
HRAs (home refueling appliances), like NatGasCar's Ecowise, are available to convert standard residential natural gas to CNG. Potential buyers should contact their local gas company before purchasing an HRA to be sure services are available. These appliances should be professionally installed. They are slow-fill, compact compressors, refueling an NGV at a rate of about four hours for every 50 miles driven.
How do costs compare?
Although the initial cost of purchasing an NGV is higher than that of a gasoline vehicle, primarily due to limited production, maintenance cost is lower and there is a significant savings in fuel cost. According to a recent U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuel Price Report, CNG costs about forty percent less per gallon than gasoline.
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