An updated white paper produced by consulting firm WIH Resource Group points to the benefits of using compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas for refuse collection fleets.


The initial study was released in 2008 after WIH was retained by the City of Boise, Idaho, to research alternative fuels. The City of Tucson, Ariz., recently retained WIH to perform a similar study.

These cities hired WIH to research the use of both CNG and LNG fuels as an alternative to traditional diesel and biodiesel fuels in their residential and commercial refuse and recycling collection vehicles.

According to the study, the use of natural gas as a vehicle fuel can help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. In 2005, 64 percent of crude oil used in the U.S. was imported from countries other than Canada, while 97 percent of natural gas used was supplied from the U.S. and Canada during that year, the white paper says.

The study also finds that the pricing market for CNG and LNG fuels is more stable than the gasoline market, with CNG costing 15 to 40 percent less than gasoline or diesel.

The down side, however, is that natural gas requires more frequent refueling, and CNG vehicles cost more per year than diesel-powered counterparts, mostly due to the higher cost of the fuel cylinders.

The white paper also points out that operators can save money once the vehicles are in service, through the lower price of natural gas as well as an excise tax credit under the Energy Policy Act.

For more information on the white paper, go to www.wihrg.com.