Corbett's Old Company Converting Thousands Of Trucks To Natural Gas

This morning, we told you about a lone natural gas-powered garbage truck at Muhlenberg College. Now, we’re telling you about 18,000 of them. The national garbage collection company Waste Management is setting a goal of converting all of its vehicles to natural gas, as the Houston Chronicle reports:

Waste Management on Friday will announce it is pushing forward on a nationwide plan to convert all of its 18,342 trucks from loud and smoky diesel engines to quieter and cleaner compressed natural gas-powered machines. The latest destination for the company’s CNG trucks will be the Houston area, starting at a facility in Conroe where 80 trucks will be able to refuel with gas overnight.
The Houston-based refuse collection giant is the latest in a line of major corporations, including UPS and AT&T, to expand their use of natural gas in fleet vehicles – convinced it is the cheapest and most environmentally friendly option to power their daily road operations.
“The economics and payback of natural gas are so strong that it dwarfs any other technology,” said Eric Woods, vice president of fleet and logistics for Waste Management.

It’s likely welcome news to onetime Waste Management general counsel Tom Corbett. The governor says he wants to convert government fleets to natural gas, in order to help build the market for the fuel.
The transition will be gradual, with the goal of adding about 1,000 new natural gas-fueled trucks a year.
 

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