The City of Lexington, Ky., took delivery of 11 new compressed natural gas (CNG) refuse trucks on Aug. 12. Each truck cost $353,000, which city officials say is similar to the cost of a diesel truck.

The city purchased the vehicles as part of its normal vehicle replacement schedule. Two more trucks are expected to arrive in December, and city officials have budgeted an additional $2.9 million to purchase 10-12 additional CNG trucks over the next 12 months.

City staffers expect each CNG truck will save approximately $6,500 in fuel costs and preventive maintenance each year. CNG costs $1.50 to $2 below the cost of diesel per gallon, and the savings on maintenance can be achieved by reducing preventive maintenance, according to a city release.

The trucks will fuel at a dedicated fueling unit at Waste Management headquarters supplied by Clean Energy. This fueling area is not open to the general public, but the city is making plans to open a public access CNG fueling station with the help of a $1.25 million federal grant.