US Conference of Mayors Adopts Resolution Calling on Federal Government to Support and Expand Natural Gas Vehicle Efforts
15 June 2010
The US Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution at its 78th Annual Meeting calling on the Federal government to accelerate its support for natural gas vehicles. The resolution calls for the following specific initiatives:
Enact the New Alternative to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act (S. 1408, H.R. 1835) or relevant provisions within other federal legislation.
Enact The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users Act’s (Pub. L. No. 109-59, § 11113) provision that provides a tax credit of 50-cent per gasoline-gallon-equivalent of CNG or liquid gallon of LNG for the sale of CNG and LNG for use as a motor vehicle fuel.
Expand federally funded Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) programs to expand product offerings of natural gas engines to meet a wider range of applications in the United States transportation sector.
Passage of current federal natural gas vehicle legislation would stimulate market expansion, economic growth, and support the buying and using natural gas vehicles over a short time period so that national economies of scale will develop, the resolution stated. Furthermore, legislation should be focused on the high fuel-use and high pollution vehicle fleets such as trash trucks, transit buses, semi-trucks, school buses, urban delivery and distribution vehicles, and shuttle buses.
More like the "Give T. Boone Pickens A Billion Dollars To Sit Down" Act.
Instead levy a tax on fossil carbon of $50 per ton. That will provide an incentive for natural gas (the lowest-carbon fossil fuel) without breaking the federal budget.
Posted by: richard schumacher | 15 June 2010 at 05:48 AM
"high pollution vehicle fleets such as trash trucks, transit buses, semi-trucks, school buses, urban delivery and distribution vehicles, and shuttle buses."
All of which are owned by municipalities. Does this incentive apply to city and state governments?? It is a good idea to promote conversion of these fleets to anything other than petro diesel and gasoline. The US (not just T Boone) has plenty of natural gas. Canada has even more.
NG is the best fuel for distributed energy Residential Power Units. By installing RPUs in single and lulti-family dwellings we can reduce need to build new coal or nuclear power plants and dramatically improve energy security. Not to mention the opportunity to remove old grid towers and wiring.
Posted by: sulleny | 15 June 2010 at 10:20 AM
Cities could see an almost immediate improvement in air quality with buses and trucks going CNG. It is delivered by pipeline and can be compressed in the vehicle yards after a shift.
This is a great idea and one that is long overdue. It is an example of status quo static inertia. Once you put all your eggs in the oil basket, it is difficult to afford to do anything else.
Posted by: SJC | 15 June 2010 at 11:12 AM
NG vehicles is nothing but a short term panacea. The world would be chasing ways to make NG instead of liquid fuels.
Posted by: HarveyD | 15 June 2010 at 11:41 AM
Isn't it's a lot easier to make methane out of biomass than liquid fuels??? and I think you'd get higher yields as well.
Now, factor in the ability to pipe methane around the country (unlike ethanol or methanol) and into people's houses and garages for home refueling.
Next, add the fact methane doesn't have a half-life so you can put it in the tank of a EREV and not have to worry about your fuel going bad because you're doing too many trips on batteries.
Plus, there's a safety bonus. Methane is lighter than air so if there's a leak, like in a crash, it goes up and out of the way.
Posted by: ai_vin | 16 June 2010 at 01:42 AM
Easier and more effective to replace stationary users of fuel oil and coal with NG. Use oil for vehicles. Leave coal in the ground.
Posted by: richard schumacher | 16 June 2010 at 06:36 AM
They are never going to "leave coal in the ground" and I think we all know that, but we can use it more wisely. IGCC can sequester the carbon and as long as you are doing the IG part you can make fuels.
Posted by: SJC | 16 June 2010 at 12:24 PM