FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local companies with truck fleets and rising fuel costs to power them have a new ally and advisor.
Ed Farmer, whose grandfather began a still thriving propane business in Caroline County, Virginia, and his wife Mona have launched Future Energy LLC, to guide fleet owners interested in saving significant money by converting their vehicles to compressed natural gas. “CNG is abundant and readily available,” says Farmer, who earlier this decade helped his former employer, a Chesapeake-based waste/recycling company, to become the first private waste hauler in the state to begin converting its fleet from diesel to CNG. “Today they are on course to reduce their fuel costs by 50% and their emissions by 90%. It made sense for them and does for many others too.”
Future Energy’s goal is not just to promote energy independence but to provide turnkey solutions for fleets transitioning to CNG, from training to the financing of CNG conversions and providing convenient places to fill their trucks. “If you have vehicles operating throughout a region like Hampton Roads, picking up trash, distributing sodas or delivering furniture, you need to know your drivers can fuel up day and night,” says Farmer, who lives and works in Virginia Beach. “We are partnering with Virginia Natural Gas to identify locations and construct public access stations. We encourage fleet owners to contact us to learn more.”
“We are very pleased with the new compressed natural gas powered trucks we purchased,” says George Hrichak, Fleet Manager for the City of Chesapeake. “The vehicles run cleaner, quieter and need less maintenance, and we are more than recouping our investment because of the lower cost of fuel.”
Virginia leaders are happy to see start-ups like Future Energy encouraging them to push the state toward more CNG use. “We have easy access to domestic natural gas pipelines in the Commonwealth, and the supply is growing,” says Virginia Beach Delegate Scott Taylor. “Now we just have to educate more companies on the value of it. The result will be less dependence on foreign oil, cleaner air but also great savings that owners can reinvest into other areas of their operations.”
Farmer says there are grants to help firms finance conversions and there may be tax credits in the offing soon too. “We will analyze your fleet and fuel consumption, connect you with companies that can complete the conversions and install the best type of infrastructure to support your operation. Fleets that run on natural gas can A SWAM certified small business, Future Energy has a calculator on its website (www.futureenergyva.com) so companies can determine their fuel savings and payback period. “I am happy to see that Ed is putting his expertise to work for others,” says Alleyn Harned, executive director of Virginia Clean Cities, on whose board Farmer sits. “I am confident Future Energy will make a difference in improving Hampton Roads’ environment and its economic future.”
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