Utah Opens First Natural Gas Refueling Station

The station is expected to become an important refueling hub for two planned LNG corridors for long-haul trucks in the western United States.

March 24, 2011

SALT LAKE CITY - The first liquefied natural gas station in Utah opened earlier this week at the intersection of two interstates, I-80 and I-15, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

The station is expected to become an important refueling hub for two planned LNG corridors for long-haul trucks in the western United States, according to Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT).

"Using more natural gas in our transportation sector will make us more competitive as a nation," Hatch said. "Natural gas is clean, it's abundant, it's affordable and it's American."

The station will offer five hoses for LNG service and 12 hoses for compressed natural gas, which is used by passenger cars and light-duty trucks.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert said protecting the environment and developing resources are mutually exclusive, though "stewardship of the earth" requires a proper balancing.

"If we can't drill, if we can't access the natural gas in our public lands, we can't have it here," he said.

A $3 million federal stimulus fund grant given to the Utah Clean Cities Coalition partially funded construction of the station.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. has 40 LNG stations, 32 of which are located in California.

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