LANTA becomes Pa.’s 1st: How landfills are being used to fuel public transit buses

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — LANTA and UGI Energy Services officials celebrated their new renewable natural gas partnership Tuesday, highlighting a project that will allow the transportation authority to cut costs and promote clean energy alternatives.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection, the Federal Transit Administration, PennDOT and the city joined LANTA and UGI Energy Services at LANTA's Lehigh Street headquarters for a ceremonial fueling of a Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority bus with bio-gas extracted from landfills.

LANTA's 64 compressed natural gas buses have been running on the fuel since the start of the new year, making it the first public transit authority in Pennsylvania to rely on renewable natural gas.

LANTA rolled out its first compressed natural gas buses in 2017 and has steadily increased their presence in the fleet ever since. The buses are more efficient and cheaper than diesel buses, which LANTA fully phased out in 2021.

LANTA will be adding 13 new compressed natural gas buses later this year as older buses are retired.

The new bio-gas is interchangeable from the natural gas LANTA had been using, even flowing through the same pipelines. But rather than collect it from the Marcellus Shale or other drilling operations, UGI's renewable natural gas is a byproduct from other (often foul-smelling) businesses.

The unpleasant aroma from dairy farms, landfills and waste water treatments is actually methane created by the decomposing organic matter. Energy companies have increasingly looked to capture these gases and remove pollutants from them so they can be used as fuel for homes, the electrical grid or specialized vehicles.

LANTA's new fuel comes from landfills in eastern Pennsylvania, said Owen O'Neil, the authority's executive director.

The three-year contract with UGI Energy Services will allow LANTA to lock in prices, cut costs and act as an environmental steward.

LANTA projects the new contract will save an average of $235,000 annually over the life of the deal — a savings of about 29%, he said.

"Having us as a partner allows UGI to make these investments," O'Neil said. "And it saves us money, too."

Shaun Hart, a vice president of UGI Energy Services, said the company has rolled out similar programs for a few dozen transportation authorities across the country, and there's room to grow.

"From our perspective, the possibilities in Pennsylvania are limitless," Hart said.