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City To Test Liquefied Natural Gas On Staten Island Ferry Vessel In Bid To Cut Costs And Reduce Carbon Emissions

NEW YORK (AP) -- In a bid to cut fuel costs, New York City will retrofit one of the vessels in its Staten Island Ferry fleet to see how it runs on liquefied natural gas.

City Transportation Department officials say they could probably save $3 million per year, per boat by switching to natural gas from diesel fuel.

The city estimates that a switch could also cut carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter.

The Staten Island Advance reports that the federal government put up a little more than $2.3 million to cover the $3 million cost of converting one of the city's Austen Class ferries.

The first ferry will run on a pilot program.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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