MIDDLETON, Wis. -- U.S. Oil, a division of U.S. Venture, has opened a compressed natural gas (CNG) station located at the Middleton Farmers Cooperative facility in Middleton, Wis. The new GAIN station will supply UW Provision's fleet, which delivers meat and specialized food products across the Midwest. The station also provides other carriers and the general public with access to CNG and establishes another strategically located GAIN Clean Fuel CNG fueling site in the Midwest.
"This is a great opportunity for us to provide another benefit to the area," said David Rischmueller, general manager for Middleton Farmers Cooperative. "Natural gas is an abundant domestic alternative energy source, and the cooperative must be able to offer this product to our customers in the future."
As part of the arrangement, Middleton Farmers Cooperative provided the site for the GAIN Clean Fuel station, and UW Provision will convert up to eight of its fleet of 20 straight trucks to CNG. In exchange, U.S. Oil will construct the GAIN station and supply UW Provision's anchor fleet with CNG fuel annually, for 10 years.
"This is a great partnership, and one we encourage other carriers to consider," said Wisconsin Clean Cities executive director Lorrie Lisek. "CNG offers significant benefits. Not only is it a more environmentally friendly fuel, it's also 30% to 40% cheaper than diesel. Plus, it's a domestically produced product, which creates price stability because of its protection from global influences."
U.S. Oil plans to have more than 100 GAIN Clean Fuel stations operating within the next three years.
"Our goal is to have a GAIN network in place that will provide easy access to CNG for local, regional and national carriers," said Bill Renz, general manager for GAIN Clean Fuel. "To achieve this, we are actively seeking partnerships with carriers that are looking to benefit by converting their fleets to CNG."
The companies projected that this newest station will replace the equivalent of 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel in the next year and more than 1.5 million gallons in the next five years. That equates to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of more than 714 tons in the next year and 2,680 tons over five years.
The advantages of natural gas as an alternative fuel include domestic availability, widespread distribution infrastructure, low cost compared with gasoline and diesel and clean-burning qualities, according to the companies.
GAIN Clean Fuel is a leading CNG provider offering fleet operators an environmentally friendly, cost-effective alternative to traditional fuel options. GAIN Clean Fuel stations provide easy-access, fast-fill capabilities and are strategically located for carriers along major shipping corridors. Innovative programs and its financial resources create turnkey, customized GAIN Clean Fuel programs tailored to their customer's specific needs.
For more than 60 years, U.S. Oil has been a leader in the distribution of petroleum and more recently, renewable energy products. It operates a dozen GAIN stations.
Based in Appleton Wis., U.S. Oil is a division of U.S. Venture Inc., a leading energy and transportation products distributor and marketer. A convenience store retailer, it has 19 Express Convenience Centers in Wisconsin.
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