Renewable natural gas (RNG) sales for Newport Beach, CA-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp. more than doubled last year as part of its fueling options in the natural gas vehicle (NGV) sector.

Branded as “Redeem,” Clean Energy’s RNG offering expanded beyond its California fueling outlets to ones in Oregon and Texas last year.

Clean Energy sold more than 50 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) last year, compared to 20 million GGEs of Redeem in 2014, the company said on Thursday, noting some major fleet operators who are using the product in their NGVs, such as United Parcel Service (UPS), Santa Monica, CA’s Big Blue bus system, and the University of California, San Diego, campus.

Since its 2013 introduction, Redeem has increased in sales rapidly, said a Clean Energy spokesperson, noting the recent move into other states is in response to fleet operators seeking increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions through use of RNG that is biomethane made from landfill gas and other sources. RNG has made steady inroads in transportation over the past four years (see Daily GPI, Jan. 23, 2014; Nov. 7, 2012).

Today UPS is the largest user of Redeem, the Clean Energy spokesperson said, adding that it has close to 400 vehicles in California using the RNG fuel. It is beginning to take supplies for parts of its Texas fleet, too, he said.

“Transportation leaders like UPS know that Redeem is the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional diesel that they can use in their fleet vehicles,” said Harrison Clay, president of Clean Energy renewables. Clay touts Clean Energy as the nation’s largest supplier of RNG for transportation.

“UPS is committed to expanding our use of alternative fuels, including RNG, to minimize our impact to the environment,” said UPS’s Mark Wallace, senior vice president for global engineering and sustainability. “RNG turns naturally occurring methane into an alternative fuel that replaces diesel and its carbon emissions.”

Another NGV supplier, Green Bridge Technologies, promoted its compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles upfits at the Energy Independence Summit in Washington, DC, earlier this month. From the summit, Green Bridge is kicking off a 30-day road tour through six eastern states — Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, prior to heading to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois before returning to the company’s home base in New Hudson, MI.

Green Bridge commercializes General Motors vehicles converted to CNG operation using technology from Crazy Diamond Performance, another Michigan-based company. Initial offerings for CNG upfits include Chevrolet Cruze, Sonic and Trax models, and the Buick Encore.

Green Bridge is the new CNG vehicle unit of propane autogas specialist Icom North America. “The [ongoing] tour is the first in a series we’re coordinating across the country to introduce our brand and vehicle line-up to our Clean Cities Coalition and natural gas company allies,” said CEO Albert Venezio.

Online, the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium is presenting a webinar March 3 (10 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET) on fueling/maintenance facility modifications for serving alternative fuel vehicles — natural gas, hydrogen, propane, biofuels and electric vehicles. The Internet-based training session in part of a series offered by the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, which will be held May 2-5 in Long Beach, CA, this year.

The March training will explore the differences in major and minor repair facilities, considerations in determining the type of facility needed, and specific codes/standards that apply. It will also discuss safety considerations and the types of training that fleet repair staff may need.