Austin-Bergstrom International Airport began its transition to renewable natural gas

February 20, 2020. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) began its transition to renewable natural gas (RNG) on January 1, 2020, with the help of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., the leading provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America and a longtime partner with AUS. This partnership calls for Clean Energy to provide AUS with its Redeem™ brand of renewable natural gas (RNG), the first commercially available vehicle fuel made entirely from 100% organic waste.

The AUS shuttle bus fleet has historically utilized alternative fuels. To ensure continued operation, half of the fleet utilizes propane, and the other half is compressed natural gas (CNG). As of January 1, AUS started fueling half of its shuttle bus fleet with RNG, an ultra-low carbon fuel that is cleaner than traditional compressed natural gas (CNG). This will reduce the AUS carbon footprint by approximately 20% at no extra cost to the airport.

“We’re very excited to partner with our provider Clean Energy to switch over to RNG. This will have a significant impact on our carbon footprint and is a major step toward achieving our sustainability goals,” said B.J. Carpenter, sustainability program coordinator with AUS.

“Switching to vehicles fueled with RNG supports AUS’ commitment to sustainable and responsible transportation and we’re proud to be part of this initiative,” said Chad Lindholm, vice president, Clean Energy. “This is a prime example of an airport taking action to lessen the environmental impact of their shuttle fleet.”

Last year, AUS attained level 2 Carbon Accreditation in the Airports Council International’s program. This multi-step international program independently assesses and recognizes airports efforts to manage and reduce CO2 emissions. Austin-Bergstrom’s goal is to reach carbon neutrality this year.