Integrys Energy Group Inc.’s (TEG) business division, Trillium CNG teamed up with Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc. to launch their first compressed natural gas station ("CNG") at Casa Grande, Ariz. 24x7 services from this facility will be available to the public for the first time. The fueling station will be accessible by Class 8 trucks as well.
The station is equipped with an advanced patented hydraulic intensifier which offers high-speed refueling services and will also feature special fuel pricing programs. This will allow other fleets in the area to enjoy the economic and environmental benefits of CNG.
With the abundance of natural gas in the U.S., this unconventional use of the eco-friendly resource will offer encouraging prospects for Integrys Energy in the coming years. Integrys Energy announced its plans to expand its CNG fueling network in Jun 2013. The latest launch is just the beginning of the company’s goal of adding 101 Class 8 accessible CNG stations by 2016 across 29 states.
Integrys Energy’s emphasis on building these CNG stations near the highways will help capture the growing trucking business. CNG is cost-effective and a cleaner substitute of diesel which will provide an incentive to truckers to switch to CNG. In fact, natural gas is steadily gaining traction at the utilities, matching coal in terms of cost, for the generation of electricity.
Although the usage of natural gas in the transportation sector is still moderate, the shale revolution in the U.S. will eventually cause gas to seize half of the market in the future. Promising projections of a 4.4% rise in the U.S. automotive manufacturing industry in the period 2013 through 2018 will act as tailwinds to Integrys Energy’s growth momentum.
In addition, by 2040, usage of CNG in heavy-duty vehicles will climb to 1 trillion cubic feet per year, which will displace 0.5 million barrels per day of diesel. However, the transition to CNG fuel in the U.S. market will take its own course and will not happen soon.
Currently, Integrys Energy carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). However, other utility counterparts well positioned at the moment are Zacks Ranked #2 (Buy) Alliant Energy Corp. (LNT), IdaCorp Inc. (IDA) and PNM Resources Inc. (PNM).
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