The town of Wayne, Neb., is on the road to lower costs and cleaner air after adding two natural gas vehicles to its fleet of vehicles. And fueling the NGVs will be as easy as pulling up to the pump provided by local natural gas utility Black Hills Energy.

Black Hills today presented Wayne officials with a check for $11,590 to purchase and install a new natural gas fueling unit for the town's new Ford F-150 and a Ford F-350 outfitted with a crane and flatbed. Wayne now joins the Nebraska cities of Columbus, Omaha and Lincoln in adding NGVs to their fleets.

"The price of natural gas has been stable for some time, and we estimate that the city of Wayne could save up to $1,240 a year per light-duty vehicle," said Scott Zaruba, Black Hills Energy's operations manager for northeast Nebraska. "Natural gas vehicles have proven their value as a smart choice for city governments and businesses alike."

Mayor Ken Chamberlain of Wayne is enthusiastic about using natural gas to fuel a variety of fleet vehicles. "The Wayne community is well-served by Black Hills Energy, and we are pleased to partner with Black Hills in a new effort to transition a portion of our city truck fleet to compressed natural gas," he said.  "Natural gas is a U.S. produced fuel with a stable supply, and it is proving to be an efficient and low-cost fuel for us."

Converting to natural gas is helping all levels of government cut fleet operation budgets and put the money they save into education and other projects. Business owners also are cutting costs by converting their fleets to natural gas. And because natural gas is cleaner-burning than gasoline or diesel fuel, its reduced tailpipe emissions are an environmental plus.

"From an economic and environmental standpoint," Zaruba said, "the benefits of natural gas as a vehicle fuel grow more enticing every day."

More than 1.2 million miles of natural gas pipeline with a 100-year history of safe, reliable service already blanket the nation. U.S. companies manufacture more than 100 models of light-, medium- and heavy-duty natural gas vehicles. More than 1,000 natural gas fueling stations nationwide provide fuel to the country's approximately 142,000 NGVs. In addition, the domestic supply of natural gas continues to increase, offering fleet operators price stability.

Zaruba said interest in using natural gas as a fleet fuel is growing among public and private fleet operators. "Municipalities and businesses of all sizes are welcome to contact us, without obligation, to explore whether NGVs are the right solution for you," he said.tim.hess@blackhillscorp.com or 316-941-1653.

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