The City of Riverside has diligently worked towards a cleaner, greener environment for its citizens because it is the right thing to do. This document will outline how the City started its green movement and present an example of how other jurisdictions can begin their clean and green journey.
The City’s Fleet Management Division submitted a matching grant application to the California Energy Commission in April of 2012. The Energy Commission’s matching grant award was $200,000 to partially offset the cost of installing a second compressed natural gas fueling station, the Acorn station, near the City’s Water Quality Control Plant located at 5950 Acorn Street in Riverside.
The Acorn station was constructed using a design/build construction structure. Design-build is a project delivery system used in the construction industry to deliver a project in which the design and construction services are contracted by a single entity known as the design–builder or design–build contractor. Design-build, with its single point responsibility, carries the clearest contractual remedies for clients because the design-build contractor will be responsible for all of the work on the project, regardless of fault.
The Acorn station is a 24 hour, 7 days per week, publicly accessible compressed natural gas fueling station that provides compressed natural gas for City vehicles, fueling for businesses and citizens, and promotes the purchase and use of clean burning natural gas vehicles. It continues the City’s efforts to improve air quality for its citizens. The Acorn station also provides a second compressed natural gas refueling location for disaster preparedness purposes as many heavy-duty vehicles that may respond in a disaster are compressed natural gas vehicles.
