2 state areas tout their 'green' efforts

City leaders in central and Northwest Arkansas gathered at separate events Wednesday to tout efforts using "green" energy and alternative fuels.

"Green" is a term used by some to indicate support for ecological awareness and the preservation of natural resources.

The news conferences were in concert with the nonprofit Green America's national "Climate Action Campaign," which is an attempt to bring communities, businesses and other groups together to "pressure major polluters to take the climate crisis seriously," according to the organization's website.

In North Little Rock, Central Arkansas Transit Authority officials led a 20-minute news conference at the agency's headquarters. Executive Director Jarod Varner boasted CATA's $10 million investment in compressed natural gas -- commonly called CNG -- projects over the years.

The transportation company has plans to construct a high-capacity compressed natural gas fueling station at its headquarters and receive 15 buses that run on the fuel next summer. That represents 25 percent of CATA's current fleet, Varner said. He added that the agency would add more buses that operate on the alternative fuel as its current fleet is retired.

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and the city's Fleet Services Director Wendell Jones were present to talk about the city-owned compressed natural gas station that opened earlier this year at East Sixth and Ferry Streets. Little Rock will add up to 15 compressed natural gas vehicles to its fleet this year, Jones said.

North Little Rock also is committed to energy efficiency, the mayor's chief of staff, Danny Bradley, said. The city uses compressed natural gas vehicles and also has its own fuel station.

In Fayetteville, the Mayor Lioneld Jordan led a short news conference at the city's public library and focused on the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce's greeNWAy program -- a two-year certification program that provides sustainability training to businesses.

Southwestern Energy owner Robert Sheppard, who attended the North Little Rock event, said alternative fuel is bound to become more prevalent as cities continue leading the way.

"Natural gas is clean, it's abundant and it's made in America. It's the fuel of the future, not just an alternative," he said. "As CNG becomes more accessible across the state, we will see more consumers make the choice to use it as their fuel source."

Metro on 07/17/2014

Upcoming Events