A Schuylkill County industrial park is among the contenders to become one of 37 compressed natural gas fueling stations in Pennsylvania.

Schuylkill Transportation System Executive Director Dave Bekisz told county commissioners at a work session Wednesday the STS site in the St. Clair Business Park, along Route 209 in St. Clair, is in the running.The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is seeking proposals from private partners to design, build and maintain the stations. It expects proposals to be submitted by summer, and expects to award the jobs by early fall.The fueling station is a state Department of Transportation project called the P3 program, Bekisz said."The state is looking for someone to build and maintain CNG stations around the state,"he said."They are looking to do it in conjunction with transit agencies all over the state."STS buses and vans would be converted to use CNG, and the fueling station also would be for use by the public, the government and by private companies."If you have a CNG vehicle, you would be able to utilize it,"Bekisz said.The gas would be piped to the station, he said.The CNG fueling station would dovetail with planned upgrades to the STS facility, Bekisz said.In January, PennDOT announced that four teams were invited to submit proposals to develop CNGfueling stations at public transit agencies around the state. The stations would also be available for use by the public."With Pennsylvania now a leading natural gas producer, this project creates opportunities for transit providers and the public to have better access to this fuel for vehicle operations," PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schochsaid at the time."This project will help the people of Pennsylvania realize the benefits this resource is delivering."The teams were scored and selected based on criteria including their financial capability to carry out the project; their background and experience in managing comparable projects; and, each team's understanding of the project.Clean Energy, Newport Beach, California; GP Strategies, Escondido, California (L.R. Kimball, Ebensburg, Cambria County/McCrossin, Bellefonte, Centre County/Gladstein Neandross & Associates, Santa Monica, California); Spire, St. Louis, Missouri (Institute of Gas & Technology, Des Plaines, Illinois/Raymundo Engineering, Walnut Creek, California / Parsons Brinckerhoff, Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Camp Hill, Philadelphia/Dual Fuel Services Inc., Batavia, IIlinois); and Trillium CNG, Salt Lake City, Utah (Larson Design Group, Williamsport, Lycoming County).Representatives from all four companies visited the STS site, Bekisz said.If chosen, the Saint Clair project would not be the only CNG fueling station in the county.In January, UGI completed a public access CNG fueling station in the Highridge Business Park just off I-81 near Minersville.UGI tapped a natural gas line in nearby Gordon and installed about 9,200 feet of 8-inch high-density main, a 610-foot service line, and other equipment.The CNGstation and compressor equipment at the site is owned and operated by Trillium CNG.According to PennDOT, in 2013, Pennsylvania became the second-largest natural gas producing state in the nation.The abundance of low-cost natural gas has driven electric and natural gas prices down nearly 40 percent since 2008, saving the average Pennsylvania resident nearly $1,200 annually in lower energy costs. After importing 75 percent of its natural gas just five years ago, Pennsylvania has become a net exporter of gas for the first time in more than 100 years.According to CNGLocator.net, seven CNG stations are located in the state, not counting the Highridge one.They are in Berwyn, Phoenixville, and Coatesville, all in Chester County; Harrisburg, Dauphin County; Washington, Washington County; Eddystone, Delaware County; and Plymouth Meeting, Montgomery County.