New York-Intercounty Chapter And SAE Metropolitan Section Present Latest In CNG Products And Services
At first thought, especially when you exit the train and empty onto the streets of New York from Penn Station, having a chapter meeting discussing CNG in a city with such a major public transit infrastructure seems out of place. And then you try to cross the street. New York, and any town or city for that matter, relies on automotive transportation heavily even if the individuals who live there do not. Police and emergency vehicles, delivery trucks, and even the street sweepers rely on the same sources of energy as that of a small town.
That energy costs money and sometimes can inhibit a fleet with sustainability aspirations. So on this morning in March I was on my way to the Port Authority Bus Terminal at Times Square to join the New York-Intercounty Chapter in a discussion with a panel of CNG experts. To the delight of incoming Chapter Chair Jim Reinish, Manager Central Automotive Division, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, the meeting was a sold-out show with the numbers exceeding the expected 60 registrants.
As most people are aware of, right now is a sort of boom-time for natural gas, and demand while currently high, is not as high as supply so the prices are demonstrably low. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is making inroads (pardon the pun) in the clean fuels/alt-fuels segment and has the good fortune of arriving at a peak production moment. Fleets are looking to see this technology can be leveraged not just for the environmental benefits, but for the bottom line benefits of a more cost-effective fuel.
Tom LaMano of Cummins Power Systems discussed their new engine lineup including their latest CNG engines, as well as improvements in their line of diesel engines. Along with his team of Steve Michenfelder, Annabelle Wissmans (pictured above), and Gerry Hyde (not pictured), LaMano made the case for the technology behind clean diesel and the across-the-board eliminations of NOx and particulate matter emissions in new diesel engines.
Brian Perone (pictured above) and Michael Orgera from Clean Energy Fuels Corporation detailed how the latest CNG infrastructure developments would increase fuel availability and accessibility. Perone went into detail about how his company is utilizing waste gasses from landfills and farms to supplement natural gas supplies, in turn completing an energy cycle from creation, to usage, then back to creation again.
Dean Sloane, CEO of Clean Vehicle Solutions (above) spoke on his company's
innovative conversions of traditional gasoline/diesel powered vehicles
to CNG, and also made the argument for natural gas vehicles as not only good for the environment, but that sustainable practices and products are good for a business bottom line.
This was a great opportunity to learn about emerging trends in the automotive industry and newly available products and services. It was also an opportunity to meet some of the standard bearers of NAFA and the New York (now New York-Intercounty) Chapter, Tom Lubas of the Port Authority of NY & NJ; Don Rittenhouse, Chapter Treasurer; and George Argueta of Corporate Claims Management (pictured above). Now, if I can get back to the train station in time...
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Chapter article provided by NAFA Communications Assistant Donald Dunphy. Special thanks to Jim Reinish, New York-Intercounty Chapter Chair, for facilitating NAFA's coverage of this event.
