ASHEVILLE - The CNG Fueling Station at 45 McCormick Place in downtown Asheville has reopened for business with better service. Open to city employees, businesses and the general public, new equipment upgrades at the station offer more reliable and safe fueling 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Upgrades include two 58 CFM (cubic feet/minute) compressors, a new inlet gas dryer, a second 3,600 psi dispenser, and doubled storage capacity. Easy operating instructions are found directly on the pump and have not changed with the new upgrades. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Carolina Blue Skies Green Jobs grant program, the upgrades are part of a local CNG Initiative involving Mission Hospital, the Land of Sky Regional Council, Henderson County, City of Hendersonville and City of Asheville. A more formal ribbon cutting ceremony is anticipated when new CNG fleet vehicles arrive in the spring.

The reopened CNG station is another effort by the city of Asheville to reduce carbon emissions and support the use of alternative fueled vehicles in the WNC region. Asheville’s first solar powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station was opened last month at the Department of Public Works parking lot at South Charlotte Street, another example of city support for alternative fueled vehicle infrastructure.

For more information about these upgrades, please contact Maggie Ullman at 828.271.6141 or mullman@ashevillenc.gov. For more information about City of Asheville sustainability efforts visit www.ashevillenc.gov/green.