Clients Profile

Waste Management of the Desert (WMD), Palm Desert

Clean Energy is extremely pleased to have one the nation’s largest refuse collection companies, Waste Management, Inc., as a partner that has distinguished itself as a pioneer in the deployment of natural gas powered refuse collection trucks.

Now in operation, WMD is a combined time-fill, fast-fill station with fleet access. The station capacity is 800 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) and is capable of time-filling more than 70 refuse trucks overnight. The station also has a 24-hour fleet access dispenser. This dispenser allows other local fleets to fuel.

Seeing the increasing scrutiny diesel fuel was coming under, Waste Management of the Desert decided to convert a portion of its fleet to compressed natural gas. Waste Management began a process of evaluating the various types of alternative fuels and available engines that matched its needs. After extensive evaluation of existing technologies, Waste Management decided to deploy refuse collection trucks using Cummins L10G dedicated natural gas engines. After the decision to use natural gas was made, securing funding for the project was the next step. Working with James Harger, Clean Energy’s Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Waste Management secured grants funds from South Coast Air Quality Management District incentives to re-power 33 of its diesel refuse collection trucks to natural gas.

Re-powering a diesel involves removing the existing diesel engine and fuel tank and replacing it with a dedicated natural gas engine and CNG fuel tanks. Once the funding for the vehicles was secured, Waste Management developed a partnership with Clean Energy to design, build, own and operate a natural gas fueling station for Waste Management’s fleet of natural gas trucks.

Clean Energy reviewed the various fueling options with Waste Management, whether to time-fill or fast fill the trucks. Currently Waste Management wet-hoses its diesel trucks whereby a special fuel truck goes from truck to truck overnight and fuels the vehicles. This system eliminates the need for the drivers in the morning to have to wait and fuel their trucks. With this type of system already in place, the logical choice for Waste Management was to time-fill its natural gas vehicles. Working with Clean Energy’s Project Engineers, a time-fill system was designed and installed by Clean Energy. In addition, other fleets in the area needed fueling capabilities so Clean Energy added a public access fast-fill fueling station on the perimeter of Waste Management’s facility. This type of arrangement is a win-win for everyone. Waste Management wins by being able to provide an important public service, the other fleets win by having an additional fueling location, and Clean Energy wins by maximizing the use of its equipment. With the public access, if a Waste Management vehicle is down over night, it can use the fast-fill station, top off and be on its way.

In part due to the success of the project in Palm Desert, Waste Management is now expanding its deployment of natural gas trucks to other Waste Management properties including:

Waste Management - Moreno Valley
Waste Management - Irvine
Waste Management - Corona

Clean Energy will be the fuel provider for all of these facilities.

Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix, AZ
Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, CA
City of Seal Beach, CA
Tempe Transit, Tempe, AZ
SuperShuttle