House Subcommittee Advances Bill to Restart Natural Gas Vehicle R&D Program at DOE; $150M in Appropriations

3 July 2009

The US House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment recently approved H.R. 1622, which will restart a natural gas vehicle (NGV) R&D program at the Department of Energy (DOE). DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory had earlier led the Next Generation Natural Gas Vehicles (NGNGV) program to develop advanced, commercially viable, medium- and heavy-duty NGVs.

H.R. 1622 directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) conduct a five-year program of natural gas vehicle research, development, and demonstration; and (2) coordinate with the natural gas vehicle industry and with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding streamlined certification of natural gas conversion systems to federal certification requirements and in-use emission standards.

Under the RD&D program, the bill calls for a focus on:

• The continued improvement and development of new, cleaner, more efficient light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty natural gas vehicle engines;
• The integration of those engines into light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty natural gas vehicles for onroad and offroad applications;
• Expanding product availability by assisting manufacturers with the certification of engines or vehicles to Federal or California certification requirements and in-use emission standards;
• The demonstration and proper operation and use of the natural gas vehicles under all operating conditions;
• The development and improvement of nationally recognized codes and standards for the continued safe operation of natural gas vehicles and their components;
• Improvement in the reliability and efficiency of natural gas fueling station infrastructure;
• The certification of natural gas fueling station infrastructure to nationally recognized and industry safety standards;
• The improvement in the reliability and efficiency of onboard natural gas fuel storage systems;
• The development of new natural gas fuel storage materials;
• The certification of onboard natural gas fuel storage systems to nationally recognized and industry safety standards; and
• The use of natural gas engines in hybrid vehicles.

Fuels supported in the program would be compressed natural gas; liquefied natural gas; biomethane; and mixtures of hydrogen and methane or natural gas.

If passed, the bill in its current state would authorize appropriations of $30 million for each of the five fiscal years of the program: $150 million in total.

The bill was authored by Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) and co-sponsored by Full Committee Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX).

To transform our nation’s energy sector we must explore a diverse range of fuels and vehicle technologies. While only a piece in very complex puzzle, natural gas can potentially provide us with an option that is both cleaner than petroleum and domestically available.

—Subcommittee Chairman Brian Baird (D-WA)