$5 million grant program will help transform
fleets of stinky diesels into clean machines

Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, today announced a $5 million grant program to provide public partners in 20 counties an incentive to switch their fleets of heavy-duty vehicles to run on clean-burning natural gas.

"Garbage trucks don't need to dirty up the air," Patterson said.

"Replacing diesel fleets with trucks that run on clean-burning natural gas will mean cleaner air for everyone. It might also save money for the taxpayers."

The program, funded with a Texas Emissions Reduction Plan grant through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, will help cover the cost of replacing diesel fleet vehicles with natural gas-powered vehicles. A variety of vehicles -- including street sweepers, forklifts, buses and garbage trucks -- will be eligible for the grants.

The grant program -- announced to coincide with this weekend's Earth Day celebrations -- will be managed by the newly formed Renewable Energy Division of the Land Office. Patterson created the Renewable Energy Division to encourage the development of alternative energy sources, such as wind, solar and geothermal, on state lands.

Patterson said he hopes the grant program will help jump-start a clean switch for as many as 30 fleets of heavy-duty vehicles in eligible counties. "We think this will help get 400 to 500 heavy-duty diesel vehicles off city streets and replace them with trucks that run on natural gas," Patterson said.

Natural gas vehicles are a proven way to reduce emissions. Because natural gas is chemically simpler than gasoline or diesel, it burns cleaner. Natural gas vehicles also have a closed fuel system, which eliminates evaporative emissions that account for up to one-half of ozone-causing pollution from motor vehicles. Natural gas vehicles are also substantially quieter than diesel engines, which could dramatically reduce the noise-level of neighborhood trash pick up.

This grant program is also a step toward achieving President Bush's goal of reducing U.S. gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years.

Eligible public partners in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Baytown areas will be able to save money by purchasing natural gas for their fleets from the Texas General Land Office's State Energy Marketing Program. Proceeds from this program are earmarked for the Permanent School Fund.

The program will be open in 20 counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Beaumont-Port Arthur, and Houston-Galveston areas specified by the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan to meet air quality program goals. The eligible counties are listed below.

• Dallas-Fort Worth area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall and Tarrant
   
• Beaumont-Port Arthur area: Hardin, Jefferson and Orange
   
• Houston-Galveston area; Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller

"Gas for trash -- it just makes sense, both economically and for the environment," Patterson said.

Source: Texas General Land Office