Southern California Gas Co. opens renewable natural gas fueling station in Bakersfield

A new compressed renewable natural gas fueling station operated by Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) opened in Bakersfield, Calif., along Highway 99 on Jan. 30.

The fueling station is open to the public and exclusively offers renewable natural gas (RNG), a fuel produced using methane emissions from dairy farms, landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and other waste streams. Depending on its source, RNG can be low-carbon, carbon neutral or carbon negative, SoCalGas noted. Capturing these methane emissions prevents them from being released into the atmosphere and reduces the use of fossil fuels.

SoCalGas Vice President of Construction Cedric Williams, Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, and local air quality regulators participated in the grand opening.

“Renewable natural gas use in trucking and public transit has grown tremendously in recent years since it offers drivers an affordable way to reduce emissions and delivers the power they need to get the job done,” Williams said. “We are excited to offer drivers who travel through Bakersfield an environmentally friendly fueling option that can immediately improve air quality in the region.”

“Bakersfield serves as the center of a major movement corridor,” Goh said. “As one of the most important food and dairy producing hubs, having this CNG fueling station in Bakersfield will help us reduce our carbon footprint as we transport needed goods across the country. We thank our partners at SoCalGas for bringing this valuable resource to our community.”

The new fueling station is the 15th public CNG fueling station operated by SoCalGas to open. SoCalGas noted over the last five years, RNG use for heavy duty trucks and buses has increased by nearly 600 percent, which has helped to displace over 7 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.