Douglas County is replacing two vehicles with Compressed Natural Gas or CNG ones.
In April, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners voted to replace two high mileage vehicles with CNG vehicles. Chairman Marc Kraft says CNG vehicles are more efficient and run cleaner than gas or diesel vehicles.
He says the vehicles pay for themselves within 2 ½ to 3 years after purchase. Kraft says the purchase is part of Douglas County’s efforts to find environmentally friendly solutions.
"A gallon of gas equivalent is just a little over $1.25, if I recall the numbers correctly. So if gas remains high, at $3.00 and above, you’ll see a fast payback. If gasoline drops in price, so long as it’s above $1.25 a gallon, you will see a payback. This vehicle is good for the environment also. It doesn’t contribute to the ozone depletion. Kansas City, for example, has gone to many natural gas buses. They are saving a lot of money and their air quality has improved. So people who have breathing problems whether it’s asthma or COPD or something should find it easier to breathe in if we get enough of these vehicles on the road.”
Kraft says the first two vehicles to be replaced will be high mileage vehicles that are becoming too expensive to maintain. He says they are also higher mileage vehicles so the payback will happen faster.
He says CNG vehicles also promote energy independence since 81% of natural gas used in the United States is produced domestically.