The New Mexico Environmental Department is providing funding to United Parcel Service to replace 16 parcel trucks

United Parcel Service – CNG delivery vehicle. Courtesy/NMED

NMED News:

ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has awarded United Parcel Service (UPS) $473,222 in grants to replace 16 vans with low-pollution compressed natural gas (CNG) vans.

“New Mexico has helped school districts and nonprofits reduce climate-warming emissions from their vehicle fleets,” said Secretary of the Environment James Kenney. “Now UPS is following suit by retiring diesel vehicles and replacing them with cleaner vehicles.”

Over the lifetime of the vehicles, nitrogen oxides (NOX) will be reduced by 9 tons, and particulate matter (PM2.5) by more than half a ton. NOX contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone, and both ozone and PM2.5 contribute to the formation of smog.

UPS is replacing trucks in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Carlsbad, Silver City, Clovis, Hobbs and Farmington. The new replacement vehicles will be moved to operate from Albuquerque.

NMED financing will partially reimburse UPS for the replacement of these vehicles. The total project cost to replace the trucks is $1,440,000.

“At UPS we believe in making a positive contribution to the communities where we live and work. With more than 18,000 alternative fuel vehicles and advanced technology in our fleet, we are proud to partner with the New Mexico Environment Department to increase our number of renewable natural gas vehicles and make a difference on the road,” said Ryan Bankerd, UPS Corporate Affairs Director of Sustainability. “Work like this contributes to our company’s progress on low-carbon solutions, reducing emissions and driving real change.”

UPS is one of the largest companies in the world, with 2023 revenues of $91.0 billion, and provides a wide range of integrated logistics solutions for customers in more than 200 countries and territories. Focused on the purpose of “Advancing our world by delivering what matters,” the company’s approximately 500,000 employees embrace a strategy that is simply stated and powerfully executed: Customer First. People led. Innovation driven. UPS is committed to reducing our environmental impact and supporting the communities we serve around the world. UPS also takes a firm stand in support of diversity, equality and inclusion. More information can be found at www.ups.com, about.ups.com, And www.investors.ups.com.

In 2005, the United States Congress passed the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) as an amendment to the Energy Policy Act. DERA was designed to reduce diesel emissions from existing diesel fleets that were not currently meeting federal emissions standards. The EPA is responsible for the oversight and distribution of DERA funds. EPA has awarded funding to NMED, and NMED in turn serves as a pass-through agency that provides subgrants for projects that reduce emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines through its New Mexico Clean Diesel Program.

Since 2008, the Air Quality Bureau, which administers the program, has awarded more than $2.3 million in grants for eligible diesel emissions reduction projects, including this project. Additional information and application materials for the DERA program are available here.