SEAL BEACH, CA - The Atlantic City Jitney Association (ACJA), providers of shuttle service to residents and visitors in New Jersey's Atlantic County, has contracted with Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to build and operate a new fast-fill compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station.

The CNG fueling facility in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., will support ACJA's deployment of its new fleet of 190 13-passenger shuttle buses.

Also available 24/7 for public access, the CNG station is projected to open in the second half of 2011. The U.S. Department of Energy, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 federal stimulus program, awarded ACJA a $5.5 million grant to cover the incremental cost of acquiring the new CNG vehicles.

"Ours is the longest running non-subsidized transit company in America, and we are committed to switching our entire fleet to 100-percent natural gas power," said ACJA President Tom Woodruff. "Like any transportation company, our biggest expenditures are for vehicle fuel, maintenance and replacement. CNG fuel prices are consistently lower than gasoline or diesel, and CNG extends vehicle life because it causes less engine wear and tear. Add the fact that clean-burning CNG is better for the environment, and the choice was obvious."