— In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign fuel sources, the city of Athens is moving forward with a plan to study the feasibility of switching more vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas.

That plan includes the intent to purchase a CNG-powered garbage truck and a gradual changeover from gasoline-powered vehicles in city departments to CNG models. Mayor Ronnie Marks hopes that within five to 10 years, the majority of the city’s fleet could be running on the green-friendly fuel source, including utility vehicles and school buses.

“I believe we’re going in the right direction,” he said, adding that city leaders examined the idea a few years ago when prices spiked to $4 levels. “If we had kept going, we would have been past this and moving forward. This is not just for experimentation.”

At the City Council’s March 26 meeting, a resolution was passed to secure financing for CNG stations and equipment. Athens Utilities’ general manager said the measure gave the department the go-ahead to seek pricing on vehicles and the cost of a CNG filling station.

A fueling station in Athens could mean potential big business in the future if automakers begin manufacturing more CNG-powered automobiles. The closest two stations now are in Birmingham and Nashville.

Gas Department Manager Steve Carter said it would be logical to put a refueling along Interstate 65 near the U.S. 31 corridor or off Elm Street. Marks estimated the station could cost as much as $100,000, while a new sanitation truck could run as much as $250,000 to $270,000.

Carter said more automakers are producing CNG-powered vehicles, including Dodge, which will release a CNG vehicle later this summer. He said CNG is less volatile than gasoline and a fuel tank of CNG will get a driver just as far as traditional gasoline.

“I think the council and mayor took a bold step in the right direction, because that’s the way the country is heading,” he said. “The only way to drive down gas prices is to use an alternative fuel.”

In an early display of confidence in future plans, the city ordered a CNG-powered Honda Civic that will be driven by city employees to promote green initiatives. The car’s exterior is being customized in Birmingham and should be delivered within two to three weeks.

Changing over the city’s fleet over the next several years could save the city a significant amount of money on regular gas and diesel fuel. The cost-per-gallon of CNG is roughly $1.40, while the city budgeted $3.50 per gallon of fuel in the current budget.

Athens is part of The Fuelmanagement Solution, or Fuelman, which allows employees to fill up at a cheaper rate than the general public, usually about 30 cents less.

For the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2011, the city used about 180,000 gallons of gasoline in just general fund vehicles, which includes the fire, police, sanitation and public works departments. The average price during that time was $3.06 per gallon.

Through February of this fiscal year, the average price of gas was $3.15 while the average price in February alone was $3.36, according to finance director Annette Barnes. The average price of diesel, used to power the city’s larger vehicles, was $3.52 in February, 2 cents above the price-per-gallon budgeted by the city.

“We had been under budget until now,” she said.

Gary Scroggins, general manager of Athens Utilities, said switching over more of his department’s vehicles is a worthy goal, but added there will likely always be a need for some vehicles that run off regular gas and diesel.

“It will take several years to get a significant number transferred over, and we’ve still got a long way to go,” he said.