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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/94351
TOP OF THE NEWS of Directors. Twenty-eight industry retailers are elected to the Board, including two retailers from non- North American countries. In addi- tion, the chairman and chairman- elect of the NACS Supplier Board also serve on the Board of Directors. n GE and Clean Energy Fuels to expand 'America's Natural Gas Highway' GE and Clean Energy Fuels (CLNE) announced a collaboration to expand the infrastructure for natural gas transporta- tion in the United States. The agreement supports Clean Energy's efforts in devel- oping "America's Natural Gas Highway," a fueling network that will enable trucks to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) coast to coast and border to border. Truck fleets often can reduce fuel costs by more than 25 percent and lower emis- sions with LNG, the companies said in a statement. Here is more, based on the Nov. 13 statement: As part of the collaboration, Clean Energy Fuels will initially purchase two MicroLNG plants from GE Oil & Gas. The plug-and-play modular units, which are designed to rapidly liquefy natural gas while minimizing a site's physical footprint, will support fueling stations along critical transportation corridors that run across the U.S. GE Energy Financial Services is providing up to $200 million in financing for the two GE MicroLNG plants. Clean Energy expects to complete approximately 70 LNG stations by the end of 2012, with more planned for next year to serve the movement of goods along major transportation cor- ridors throughout the U.S. While CNG, or compressed natural gas, is primarily used in cars, buses and smaller trucks, the LNG fueling being rolled out at Clean Energy's stations is targeted at long-haul, heavy-duty trucks, which will have the advantage of longer driv- ing ranges while not impacting tractor weight and incremental costs. In 2013, four major manufacturers will intro- duce the Cummins Westport 12-liter LNG engine, which is the optimum size for long-haul Class 8 trucks. www.npnweb.com n NPN Magazine Clean Energy plans to use a standardized design of the new GE MicroLNG plants to build addition- al MicroLNG plants. These first two MicroLNG plants will produce up to 250,000 gallons per day. The plant is designed to be expanded up to 1 mil- lion gallons per day as adoption and demand increases. The LNG produced by the MicroLNG plants will be used primarily at Pilot-Flying J truck stops that serve truckers across the country. The two GE MicroLNG plants are tar- geted to begin operation in 2015. The two companies are currently assessing the best locations for these first two LNG plants. n Tanknology assisting UST site operators Impacted by Super Storm Sandy As conditions permit, owners and oper- ators of gas stations and other fueling facilities on the Eastern Seaboard are assessing the impact to their sites from Super Storm Sandy. What exactly they need to do to get their facility back into operation will vary widely, depending upon the type and severity of damage they sustained. One thing is certain: Given fuel shortages and the pressing need to clean up and get back into business, it can't happen fast enough. Tanknology has set up a web page devoted to helping operators deter- mine what they need to do based upon the type of impact on their site. (www. tanknology.com/StormRecovery) The situations addressed on this informa- tional page range from merely loss of power to minimal flooding to running out of fuel and all the way up to cases of severe flooding. Also included are links to various state and federal agen- cies which can provide resources or additional support. n John McCauley Joins Paragon Solutions, Inc. Paragon Solutions, Inc. has announced the addition of John McCauley to its staff in a leadership design role. McCauley has 18 years of interior design, graphics design, and branding experience in the retail sector. As one of the founders of Infiniti Décor, he brings specialized knowledge in graph- ics and décor production, fixture and display design, and logo/brand iden- tity programs to Paragon. "John has a unique blend of design talent, leader- ship skills, production knowledge, and customer service experience that will strengthen our award winning design team," says Mike Lawshe, President. "He is a great asset to both the design development and branding teams within Paragon." McCauley studied Architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington and Environmental Design at the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design in Denver. Outside the design studio, McCauley enjoys backpacking, rock climbing, and spending time with his three sons. n OPW, Patriot Capital Partner to Provide Financing Solutions for Fuel Control Systems OPW (Hamilton, Ohio), A Dover Company and a global leader in commercial and retail petroleum equipment, has announce that it is now providing financing options to its customers for its Fuel Control Systems through a new partnership with Patriot Capital Corporation. Patriot Capital is the industry leader in financing retail and commercial petroleum equipment. OPW's relationship with Patriot Capital allows it to provide flexible financing options to customers interested in pur- chasing OPW equipment. "We are very excited at OPW about the partnership with Patriot Capital and to begin providing our custom- ers with these new financing options," says Keith Moye, OPW Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "Patriot Capital has an outstanding reputation within the industry, and like OPW, prides itself on its industry expertise and excellent customer service. By offer- ing an easy and affordable payment method, we are making it even more trouble-free for our customers to pur- chase OPW equipment." NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 9