LNG Fueling Hose
Docking Station

Natural Gas Bus

Hythane Truck Used at Stapleton Airport, Colorado

CNG, LNG and battery-powered buses at Grand Canyon

Alternative fuels are substantially non-petroleum and yield energy security and environmental benefits. DOE currently recognizes the following as alternative fuels: methanol and denatured ethanol as alcohol fuels (alcohol mixtures that contain no less than 70% of the alcohol fuel), natural gas (compressed or liquefied), liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, coal-derived liquid fuels, fuels derived from biological materials, and electricity (including solar energy). DOE can expand this list when new fuels are developed and approved as meeting this definition.

The primary reasons for expanding the use of alternative fuels and fuel systems are:
1. the recent passage of the Clean Air Act Amendments
2. the human and financial costs associated with our increasing dependence on foreign oil
3. the growing concern over the greenhouse gases and their impact on global warming.

Over 97 percent of the motor vehicles operating in the United States use petroleum based fuels and will most likely continue to unless we make a serious commitment to alternatives. However, with gasoline consumption increasing by about 10 percent every five years, our dependence on foreign oil will soon outpace domestic production. The introduction of vehicles powered by alternative fuels can prevent the gradual and continuing destruction of our planet and future wars to protect our oil supplies. Each of the alternatives are cleaner burning than the conventional gasoline and diesel fuels presently used. Fleet owners are predominantly interested in natural gas vehicle projects because they can install CNG equipment in existing fleet vehicles. The successful demonstration of alternative fuel usage, over the next five years, will determine the public and private sector acceptance of alternative fuels and fuel systems.

• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) CH4, primarily methane, main fuel source: underground reserves, energy ratio compared to gasoline: 3.94 to 1 or 25% at 3000 psi, Gas
• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) CH4, methane cooled cryogenically,source:underground reserves, energy ratio to gasoline: 1.55 to 1 or 66%, Liquid
• Ethanol (E85) CH3CH2OH,denatured ethanol and gasoline,source: corn, grains or agricultural waste, energy ratio to gasoline: 1.42 to 1 or 70%, Liquid
• Methanol (M85) CH3OH, Methanol and gasoline, source: natural gas, coal and woody biomass, energy ratio to gasoline: 1.75 to 1 or 57%, Liquid
• Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) CH4, Propane, source: a bi product of petroleum refining or natural gas processing, energy ratio to gasoline: 1.36 to 1 or 74%, Liquid

*information from Alternative Fuels Data Center

For more detailed information about alternative fuels, alternative fuel vehicles, refueling sites, fleet information, etc., visit the: