THE ALTERNATE EXPERIENCE

Several commercial carriers in the United States are experimenting with alternate fuels. Their interest in these fuels stem from California's clean-air Federal Implementation Plan, which calls for diesel truck emission standards that are considered unachievable even with clean diesel fuels. Because California is representative of other clean-air non-attainment areas, the implications are nationwide. This article reports that liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas are the alternate fuels of choice. Operating and maintenance costs have been comparable, although up-front costs are higher than stock diesel or gasoline equipment. Most companies would prefer to stick to diesel, but they are finding that the alternates are satisfactory and sometimes better.