Shaun Hart, Vice President at UGI Energy Services (left), and Owen O’Neil, Executive Director of LANTA, ceremonially fill the first LANTA bus to be powered using Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) sourced from a Pennsylvania landfill. LANTA is the first transit agency in Pennsylvania to utilize this renewable energy in its fleet. A news conference announcing the historic agreement between LANTA and UGIES was held in Allentown Tuesday. (Contributed photo)
A new agreement between the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) and UGI Energy Services will make renewable natural gas the fuel for more than 80 buses in LANTA’s fleet.
The initiative–which was celebrated at a Feb. 20 press conference in Allentown–will help LANTA reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is the first of its kind in the state for a transportation authority.
Under the agreement, the renewable natural gas will be purchased as a biofuel from area landfills, according to a news release about the initiative.
“This agreement is yet another step in LANTA’s ongoing commitment to helping create a greener Lehigh Valley…one mile at a time,” said LANTA Executive Director Owen O’Neil. “Starting in 2010 we put our first hybrid diesel-electric buses on the road, followed by a commitment to clean natural gas vehicles. Now, with this agreement with UGIES, renewable natural gas will power our fleet.”
The buses will powered by renewable natural gas (RNG), which is derived from decomposed organic matter that is processed to produce a clean form of biogas. RNG is considered an advanced biofuel according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.
“This project marks a milestone for UGI Energy Services as this is the first agreement in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a transportation authority to fuel their vehicles with RNG,” said UGI Energy Services President Joe Hartz. “We are proud to help LANTA and the surrounding communities in the Lehigh Valley reduce emissions while lowering their carbon footprint.”
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
