A near-fatal car crash brought Go Natural Gas' business partners Timothy Nelligan and Joshua Radwan together in 2007. They have been working as a team ever since to help clean up the air. The MSRC helped them in their mission by providing Go Natural Gas with $250,000 in Clean Transportation Funding to build a publicly-accessible CNG fueling dispenser.
Timothy and Joshua's unique relationship began on March 9, 2007, when Joshua, along with several other people, pulled Timothy from a burning car after an accident on the Interstate 5 Freeway at the Crown Valley Parkway exit in Mission Viejo. After the accident, Timothy contacted each of the heroes who saved his life, including Joshua. When Joshua learned that Timothy had a background in environmental and civil engineering, he asked Timothy to become the president of his newly formed company, Go Natural Gas (GNG).
"Before we were introduced, we both had a passion for making a positive impact in whatever ways we could," said Timothy Nelligan, President of GNG. "So, things were aligned for when we actually did meet."
Ironically, the accident happened just a quarter-of-a-mile from GNG's newly installed CNG dispenser at a local Shell gas station located in Laguna Niguel. The station is equipped with two CNG compressors, which produce 1.25 gasoline gallons equivalents per minute, and it has 30,000 cubic feet or 250 gallons of storage. All types of CNG vehicles - from passenger vehicles to large street sweepers and buses - can refuel here. This station is a new addition to the continually expanding chain of alternative fuel stations throughout the state, many of which in the South Coast region were funded, in part, by with Clean Transportation Funding from the MSRC. The station fills a 60-mile gap in CNG fueling stations in Southern California, noted Nelligan.
GNG has received very positive feedback from the CNG station-users. In fact, one Caltrans worker who operates a CNG street sweeper told Nelligan that this station literally has changed his life. His route is in south Orange County and prior to the GNG station opening, he had to travel north to Irvine to fill up. The new station saves him two hours a day in travel time, giving him more time to do his job and more time with his family. Additionally, he can refuel his vehicle at a lower cost and use the fuel to actually operate his vehicle rather than to commute, which makes his boss happy, said Nelligan.
Clean Transportation Funding was critical to this project. "The MSRC grant did what it was supposed to do. It jump-started this project and our company. It helped the station owner overcome any hesitation he might have had about investing his own capital," explained Nelligan. The project received an award through the MSRC's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Program, which is currently seeking proposals (see Work Program article). The MSRC's funding helped offset some of the cost of the project, which totaled approximately $630,000.
"The MSRC and AQMD have such credibility that it brings a lot of confidence to the investor to know that up to 50 percent of the capital costs can be funded through an MSRC grant," Nelligan explained. "Without this type of commitment from these agencies, you wouldn't see Southern California be a leader in these technologies."
GNG also has received two other awards from the MSRC to construct alternative fuel stations in the cities of Moreno Valley and Rialto. These projects are currently in the permitting stages. GNG is so pleased with the success of the San Juan Capistrano station and the MSRC process that is planning to apply for more funding through the current Work Program, added Nelligan.
Pictured below: (Left-Right) Timothy Nelligan, Laguna Niguel Mayor Pro Tem Gary Capata and MSRC's Ric Teano celebrate at the grand opening ceremony of GNG's CNG fueling dispenser.
