Clean Energy Fuels Corp. officials said last week they should take over compressed natural gas (CNG) station management responsibilities from National Grid in early spring with implementation of “a thorough transition plan” with existing CNG fleet customers. Clean Energy also said it would expand the station network.

The California-based natural gas transportation fueling company will operate and maintain National Grid’s existing stations, sell CNG to third parties, upgrade the on-site equipment to increase vehicle fueling capacity for growth in National Grid’s CNG-powered truck fleet, and work with the global energy delivery company to continue to expand the CNG vehicle market, a spokesperson for Clean Energy said.

Separately last Wednesday, Clean Energy also announced it has signed a multi-year, master agreement with AT&T to provide the CNG and fueling stations for the communication giant’s nationwide plan to spend $350 million and deploy up to 8,000 CNG-powered vehicles as part of a 15,000-vehicle alternative fuel fleet to be developed through 2018. AT&T’s overall clean fleet vehicle program is estimated to be a $565 million effort.

Existing National Grid stations number eight in New York (four each in New York City and on Long Island), three in Massachusetts and two in Rhode Island.

National Grid provides all the natural gas used to produce CNG on-site at the stations. Current fuel requirements exceed the equivalent of 750,000 gallons of gasoline annually.

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