Thousand Palms,
Calif.—It’s not unusual for California’s Coachella Valley to host
international visitors. In fact, nearly four million people flock to the desert each year
to enjoy golf, blue skies, and non-stop sunny days.
But it may seem a bit odd that recent delegations from Canada, China,
Egypt, England, France, Mexico, South America, and Sweden were comprised of transit
officials. And their interest wasn’t par–it was alternative fuels.
"It started back in 1996, when the Jane’s book on urban
transit systems ran an article entitled, ‘Partnerships Accomplish the
Impossible,’" recalled Richard Cromwell III, general manager of SunLine Transit
Agency. "It described how SunLine utilized public-private partnerships with our local
gas utility and community college to become the first public transit agency in the nation
to park a diesel fleet and switch overnight to buses powered 100 percent by compressed
natural gas."
Shortly after the article ran, SunLine’s phone started ringing.
Not only hasn’t interest slowed down; based on recent experience, the agency might
need to add another line! In November alone, SunLine hosted separate delegations from
China, Sweden, and Egypt.
"On Nov. 2," Cromwell said, "Cummins Engine Company of
Columbus, Ind., brought a group of 19 transit officials and engineers from the Beijing
Public Transportation Corp. and Dong Feng Motor Co."
While in the desert, the Chinese officials also met representatives
from the College of the Desert Energy Technology Training Center and Pickens Fuel Corp.,
SunLine’s CNG supplier.
In mid-November, the topic of conversation switched from CNG to
hydrogen; the language, from Chinese to Swedish.
"The Swedish delegation came to visit our facilities during a
hydrogen conference we helped bring to Palm Springs," Cromwell continued. "Their
scientists, educators, and military representatives were very interested in our plans to
build a hydrogen generating facility at our Thousand Palms, Calif., headquarters and to
run our next generation of buses on hydrogen fuel cells."
Shortly after the exit of the Swedish group, the Egyptians arrived. Led
by a consulting group from Boston, the delegation was comprised of representatives of
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, as
well as the U.S. Agency for International Development.
They were so impressed with SunLine’s CNG fueling operations
throughout the desert that, after their visit, they called to see if the agency could help
them find a consultant to construct alternative fuel stations in Egypt. Pickens Fuel Corp.
plans to submit a proposal.
While visitor traffic was surprisingly high in November,
"it’s not unusual for us to host international delegations every other
month," Cromwell said.
But why would an agency that operates 6,000 buses model a program on
one that runs 40?
"Several factors contribute to our appeal," he said.
"Since we’re a relatively small transit property, people can see our entire
operation in a day. They can also see how public transit acted as a clean fuel catalyst
for the region. We’re able to show them taxis, school buses, refuse vehicles, and
postal vehicles that switched once CNG was made available. And we’re the
nation’s largest testing site for Cummins Engine, so we have cutting-edge equipment
they can see in action."
Another factor is SunLine’s ubiquitous involvement with
alternative fuels. Cromwell serves as chair of APTA’s Alternate Fuels Committee and
on the boards of the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, California National Gas Fuel
Coalition, and Cal-Start. And nearly anytime anyone needs help, SunLine finds a
way—from lending mechanics to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta to sending Cromwell
to Taipei, Taiwan, for an international conference on alternative fuels.
"There’s no reason for everyone to reinvent the wheel,"
he concluded. "Why should another transit agency make the same mistakes we did or
waste resources learning what works best? We all live on the same planet. We all breathe
the same air. If we can help further the clean fuels cause, we’re happy to share our
knowledge and experience with others."
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