CNGnow

Louisville’s first Compressed Natural Gas, or CNG, station will be unveiled Wednesday near the city’s international airport and officials are encouraging both businesses and individuals to make the switch to the cleaner fuel alternative.

This will be the first CNG station in Louisville, and only the second in Kentucky.

CNG burns cleaner than gasoline, but the vehicles that use it often cost more. That hasn’t stopped investment from companies like Waste Management, which plans to add 25 CNG vehicles to its Louisville fleet this year.

Company spokesman Ken Haldin said its unclear how many CNG vehicles are in use across the country, although the transition from gasoline to alternative-fuel vehicles has been slow.

“While there’s not any hard numbers around it, its clear trend-wise, whether it be here in Louisville or elsewhere, that this is the kind of thing that its time has come," he said.

If companies are willing to make the investment in CNG vehicles, it could save money in the long run, as well as help clean up the environment, said Haldin.

“Certainly there’s a lot of interest that’s been generated in almost every location where we operate and not the least of which is Louisville and Kentucky for this type of service and its one of those opportunities where, as you build it more will come," he said.

While CNG is generally cheaper than gasoline, CNG stations are not available in every state. Waste Management will be offering fast-fill for individual car owners and time-fill for its fleet, which allows vehicles to sit overnight while its tank fills.

Last month, Westport announced it had contracted with Ford Motor Company to install fuel systems on some of the company's trucks to offer customers a bi-fuel system.

Clean Vehicle Education Foundation is offering a one-day workshop Tuesday for public and private fleet operators and clean air/clean-transportation policymakers.​