The Alaskan Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is studying whether Alaska would benefit economically and environmentally by using natural gas instead of crude oil products like diesel and gasoline to fuel the more than 7,500 vehicles owned by the state. The Division of Statewide Equipment Fleet plans to spend up to USD 65,000 on a study, due end of 2010, which could lead to a CNG pilot program, according to Petroleum News.
The Alaska Sustainable Energy Act (Senate Bill 220), an energy policy bill passed earlier this year, mandated the study. The legislation described fleet conversion as a possible short-term solution for rising energy costs in Alaska, and paired it with a policy for the state to consider long-term energy costs when buying vehicles and equipment. The study will evaluate existing CNG programs in North America as it considers environmental, economic and technical standpoints for using CNG in Alaska.
Although infrastructure costs will feature strongly in the study, so too will the current heavy reliance by the US on imported oil.
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