The City of Long Beach, Calif., has begun using renewable diesel for trucks and equipment used for maintenance and transportation in a move that expands the city's use of renewable fuels.

The shift will reduce emissions and bring renewable fuels use in the city fleet to 18% or 393 of the 2,185 vehicles managed by California's seventh most populous city. Long Beach will use about 430,000 gallons of renewable diesel a year for all of its diesel-powered vehicles, said Oliver Cruz, the city's fuel operations program officer.

"The shift to these renewable fuels is an important part of the city's commitment to sustainability and greenhouse gas reductions," said Mayor Robert Garcia. "I'm proud that Long Beach has one of the greenest fleets in the United States."

The city is purchasing renewable diesel at a comparable price to petroleum-based diesel. Renewable diesel is considered a sustainable fuel and is produced from waste fats, residues and vegetable oils.

Long Beach began using renewable liquid natural gas (RNG) in November to replace fossil liquid natural gas (LNG) in 85 vehicles including 55 refuse trucks, 78 heavy-duty Class 8 trucks, 16 street sweepers, three dump trucks, two tractor trucks, and two rear loaders. The city became the first in the country to use LNG for its street sweepers in 2003.

By using renewable diesel and RNG, the city is looking at a potential reduction of more than 6,000 tons of carbon emissions per year. The switch to RNG is expected to save the city approximately $27,000 per year on its use of more than 826,000 gallons of LNG partly due to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits.