Life Cycle Engineering Partners with Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities to Perform Alternative Fuels Feasibility Study
CHARLESTON, SC, - October 27, 2011 - Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities (PRCC) has received a grant from the Heinz Endowments to fund a study to determine the feasibility of converting municipal vehicle fleets to alternative fuels. The study will be performed by the Pittsburgh office of Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) and P.C. McKenzie, a provider of compressed natural gas equipment.
The study will cover the South Hills municipalities of Peters Township, Upper St. Clair, and North Strabane, Pennsylvania and will also include the Peters Township Sanitary Authority, the Peters Township Ambulance Service, and Tri-Community South EMS. The goal of the study is to determine the feasibility of converting the existing municipal vehicle fleets to alternative fuels, including clean burning natural gas. The municipal vehicle fleets are diverse and include vehicles such as public works trucks, police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and other municipal vehicles.
“The Pittsburgh region is in a unique situation of having locally generated natural gas that could be a viable alternative to increasingly expensive traditional fuel,” points out Ken Siegman, Vice President for LCE’s Engineering Services Group. “We are delighted to support the desire of these regional municipalities to become more sustainable.”
While the outcome of the study is to be a guide for the conversion of the participants’ municipal fleets, it will also serve as a roadmap for municipalities throughout Western Pennsylvania for fleet conversion. Jan Lauer, President of PRCC, indicated that PRCC chose to work with these South Hills municipalities given their proximity to the Marcellus Shale gas activity and the professional nature in which the communities are governed. PRCC believes that these communities can serve as a model for municipalities throughout Western Pennsylvania when it comes to conversion to alternative fuels for their fleets.
Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities (PRCC) is one of 87 Clean Cities coalitions across the country. The coalitions were formed during the 1990s in response to a call from the U.S. Department of Energy to build local coalitions of stakeholders to help fleets reduce their dependence on foreign oil and reduce related emissions. PRCC has the mission of educating and providing technical support to organizations and individuals that are interested in converting their vehicles to alternative fuels.
The Heinz Endowments supports efforts to make southwestern Pennsylvania a premier place to live and work, a center for learning and educational excellence, and a region that embraces diversity and inclusion.
About Life Cycle Engineering
Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) provides consulting, engineering, applied technology and education solutions that deliver lasting results for private industry, the Department of Defense and other government organizations. The quality, expertise and dedication of our employees enable Life Cycle Engineering to serve as a trusted resource that helps people and organizations achieve their full potential. Founded in 1976, LCE is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina with offices across North America and experience around the globe.
About the Engineering Services Group
LCE’s Engineering Services Group (ESG) offers a comprehensive line of engineering and professional services for U.S. and foreign Navies, commercial marine operators and industrial companies throughout the world. Our services include electrical engineering, environmental engineering, energy management, integrated logistics support, mechanical and marine engineering, materials and metallurgical engineering, and program and financial management. We have extensive experience with proven results in helping maritime and industrial organizations control and reduce costs, solve engineering and logistic problems, repair shipboard systems, manage programs and improve financial management.
