Piedmont Natural Gas announced July 23 its purchase of a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in Greer, South Carolina, from St. Louis-based Spire CNG Inc. The facility is Piedmont’s twelfth CNG fueling station in the company’s three-state service territory and its fourth in South Carolina.

Located at exit 60 off Interstate 85, near South Carolina Highway 101, the station provides a convenient fueling stop for trucks, fleet vehicles, and other vehicles that run on CNG. The station features six fast-fill fuel pumps, can accommodate Class 8 tractor-trailer trucks and is accessible 24/7.

“Compressed natural gas offers several advantages to traditional fuels, from fuel-cost savings to helping reduce vehicles’ carbon footprints,” said Philip Grigsby, senior vice president of ventures and business development at Piedmont Natural Gas. “This station is a great match for Piedmont’s sustainability goals, and we’re pleased to offer lower-cost, lower-emission CNG to more motorists driving along the I-85 corridor.”

Thanks to the domestic abundance of natural gas, the price of CNG remains below that of conventional vehicle fuels. With savings over conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel, business fleets and the trucking industry have found CNG to be a cost-effective fueling solution. Almost 50% of Piedmont’s own utility fleet consists of CNG-powered or CNG-capable vehicles.

CNG also is a more environmentally friendly choice; natural gas vehicles are 90% cleaner than the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s current NOx standard. CNG emits up to 21% fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than comparable gasoline and diesel vehicles. Many state and local governments also offer incentives to encourage the adoption of natural gas vehicles.