The trucks that pick up trash and recycling around the Prescott area now run on clean, lower-cost natural gas provided by UniSource Energy Services.

Patriot Disposal, a waste management and recycling service in Yavapai County, replaced its diesel fleet with 10 trucks that run on compressed natural gas, or CNG – and it plans to add an additional truck later this year. Last summer, a full-time CNG station was completed.

CNG is a natural, alternative fuel that produces lower emissions than diesel fuel or gasoline, potentially improving air quality, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

“Patriot is really big on recycling and doing the right thing for the environment,” said Jeff Brown, Supervisor of Construction and Maintenance for UniSource. “We are happy to work with them on their efforts.”

A few years ago, Patriot’s owners approached UniSource about the possibility of bringing in CNG when they were considering purchasing 100 percent CNG trucks. In addition to being more sustainable, CNG trucks are much quieter than diesel trucks.

UniSource agreed to work with the company on the design and engineering of the facilities to make sure Patriot could get adequate gas to the area.

At first, UniSource added a temporary unit so Patriot could start fueling its first four trucks. Over time, UniSource built a metering and regulator station that was hooked up to Patriot’s compressor station for the trucks.

“UniSource was fantastic to work with. The process was flawless,” said Jay Eby, owner of Patriot Disposal. “UniSource was very professional and did a great job.”

The CNG trucks serve Prescott, Prescott Valley, Cottonwood, Sedona and nearby areas.

More than 175,000 natural gas vehicles, which includes CNG trucks, operate in the United States, according to Natural Gas Vehicles for America, a group that promotes the use of natural gas.