Clean Energy Fuels Corp. secured a new 10-year contract from the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to operate CNG facilities that fuel CNG buses deployed in the agency's Downtown Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley, South Bay and Westside Divisions.

Clean Energy will have sole responsibility to operate and maintain all 10 of Metro's CNG facilities that supply the fleet with 40 million gallons of CNG fuel annually when the transition is complete.

Earlier this year Metro awarded three other station contracts to Clean Energy, which affected six of Metro's CNG fueling facilities located throughout the agency's 1,433-square mile service area.

According to the California Energy Commission, natural gas-powered transit buses reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 23 percent compared to conventional diesel-powered models. Natural gas fuel costs significantly less, on average, than diesel fuel.

Metro deploys buses on 191 fixed routes with nearly 16,000 bus stops in Greater Los Angeles County. More than 9.6 million people — nearly one-third of California's residents — live and work in L.A. County. In fiscal year 2010, passenger boardings of Metro buses totaled more than 366 million.