HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 11n - Purchase of CNG FuelPurchase Order for CNG Fuel
June 3, 2025
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DATE: June 3, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Paul Cranmer, Public Works Services Director
By: Daniel Vargas, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: PURCHASE ORDER WITH CLEAN ENERGY FOR THE PURCHASE OF
COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (“CNG”) FUEL FOR THE CITY’S FLEET,
IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $150,000
CEQA: Not a Project
Recommendation: Approve
SUMMARY
The City primarily utilizes the Compressed Natural Gas (“CNG”) fueling station located at
the Foothill Transit Center, operated by Clean Energy, to fuel its CNG vehicles. The
Purchase Order with Clean Energy expires on June 30, 2025. It is recommended that the
City Council approve a sole source Purchase Order with Clean Energy to purchase CNG
fuel for the City’s fleet, in an amount not to exceed $150,000 for Fiscal Year 2025-26.
BACKGROUND
The Public Works Services Department (“PWSD”) has been strategically replacing
vehicles that meet the City’s Vehicle Replacement Policy with alternative fuel vehicles
such as CNG, Hybrid, and Electric vehicles. This approach has allowed the City to meet
the Air Quality Management District’s mandates that heavy duty equipment be replaced
with alternative fuel vehicles, as well as reducing Arcadia’s overall fuel costs and
greenhouse gas emissions. The PWSD is responsible for the purchase of CNG fuel and
currently operates a fleet of 16 heavy-duty CNG vehicles, which includes five one-ton
pickup trucks, three street sweepers, three dump trucks, two sewer jetter vacuum trucks,
one water tanker truck, one aerial lift truck, and one hydro-excavator truck.
DISCUSSION
The PWSD utilizes two local CNG public fueling stations to fuel all City CNG vehicles.
The first station, owned by Foothill Transit, is located less than 0.5 miles from the Public
Works Service Center. The second station, owned by the City of Pasadena, is located on
Foothill Boulevard, west of City limits. Clean Energy is the sole source of CNG fuel and
the service provider for both of these fueling stations. There are no other viable CNG
fueling stations in the immediate area. Therefore, utilizing a sole source purchase order
is necessary.
Purchase Order for CNG Fuel
June 3, 2025
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The PWSD has vehicle fueling cards provided by Clean Energy and is invoiced monthly
for fuel purchased at these two stations. It is estimated that the PWSD will use
approximately 27,400 Gasoline Gallon Equivalents (“GGE”) of CNG by the end of Fiscal
Year 2024-25. This usage reflects a 0.48% decrease from the previous fiscal year. It is
anticipated that an additional 400 GGEs of CNG will be utilized in Fiscal Year 2025-26
with the recent purchase of a new CNG dump truck, which replaced an existing petroleum
gasoline dump truck. The total expected usage of CNG for Fiscal Year 2025-26 is 27,800
GGEs.
In recent years, the price per GGE of CNG has steadily decreased. During FY 2024-25,
the City paid on average $5.02 per GGE, which includes state fuel tax fees, as compared
to $5.08 in FY 2023-24, and $5.51 in FY 2022-23. CNG fuel prices are projected to remain
relatively stable throughout FY 2025-26, as reflected in monthly transaction trends;
however, price spikes can occur and are not uncommon. It is recommended that the
Fiscal Year 2025-26 Purchase Order reflect the estimated average cost of $5.02 per GGE
for the expected 27,800 GGEs of CNG, plus an additional $10,000 for unforeseen price
increases or extra demands. Based on these projections, at least $149,556 will be needed
to cover the expected costs in FY 2025-26.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental
Quality Act (“CEQA”), as it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the
environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The request is to purchase CNG fuel for the City’s fleet in an amount not to exceed
$150,000. Sufficient funds have been budgeted in the Department’s proposed Fiscal Year
2025-26 Operating Budget for the purchase of CNG fuel.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a
project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and approve a Purchase
Order with Clean Energy for the purchase of Compressed Natural Gas (“CNG”) fuel for
the City’s fleet, in an amount not to exceed $150,000.