By Clarence Cromwell
With a $62,185 storage tank for compressed natural gas and a little electrical work, the city of Saratoga will have its own alternative-fuel pumping station.
The council allocated money for the storage tank at its Feb. 21 meeting.
That week, PG&E was set to start installing three-phase electrical wiring and hooking it up to a compressor for the gas pump.
The pumping station, scheduled for completion the week of March 4, is the last part of a three-jurisdiction plan to convert from gas-powered cars to cars that consume cleaner-burning compressed natural gas.
The Saratoga post office and West Valley College converted their fleets of cars last year. The city plans to buy a van and a pickup--both powered by CNG--for the public works department, said Larry Perlin, director of Public Works.
The new trailer can store 70,000 cubic feet of gas, enough to fill 50 to 60 vehicles. When the tank is empty, a PG&E truck will haul it back to a Cupertino fueling station for a refill. Perlin estimated the station will need five to 10 refills per month, which will cost $750 per tank.
Bay Area Air Quality Management District is paying for most of the project, including the cost of the new tank.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 28, 1996.
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