The Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA), a southern New Jersey-based services authority providing waste management and recycling services in Atlantic County, awarded a contract to Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to design, build and maintain a new public access compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel station. The facility will operate 24/7 to support ACUA's growing fleet of CNG refuse trucks, as well municipal and private CNG fleet vehicles in the area.

Committed to helping preserve environmental quality, ACUA will transition its fleet of refuse collection trucks from diesel to clean-burning natural gas power. Natural gas produces up to 23 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions than diesel fuel in heavy-duty vehicles and up to 30 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline fuel in light-duty and medium duty vehicles.

ACUA has secured a $1.9 million award from grant funds allocated by the Department of Energy's Clean Cities Recovery Act, which will help defer the costs of constructing the fast-fill CNG station and acquiring new CNG refuse collection trucks. ACUA serves commercial and residential customers in South New Jersey's Atlantic County, which includes Atlantic City. The new Clean Energy CNG fuel station will be located on ACUA property in Egg Harbor Township.

Construction is slated to begin early in 2010.