As the North America Gas Summit draws near, Michael Gallagher, Senior Adviser Westport Innovations, Chairman Natural Gas Group of the NPC Future Transportation Fuels Study & Chairman of Cummins Westport Inc and Agility Fuel Systems (also a member of the NGV Global Board) discussed the transformations occurring in the energy landscape across North America with Monika Gonda, Director North America Gas Summit.
Gallagher sees the increased abundance of economically recoverable natural gas and the drive to reduce oil imports to the US as the twin pillars upon which the future role of natural gas is defined. “We see the possibilities of natural gas transforming the transportation sector, too, which currently is the primary use of oil in most countries. We see natural gas having significant penetration into different segments of that transportation market.”
He speaks of the increased market share for natural gas vehicles for commercial fleets, including a greater than 20% share of all new orders for refuse trucks, and of beneficial role natural gas can play for operators of heavy duty transportation.
With regards the NPC Future Transportation Fuels Study, Gallagher candidly observes,”It is a huge deal to elevate the debate to the level where we, the oil companies, the gas companies and other technology companies come together and compare notes and views on the key economic factors driving the US transportation sector. We are aiming to finish our work by March next year and while there is still much work to do, it is also likely to create increased visibility of the possibilities of natural gas as a transportation fuel.”
The full interview is available on the North America Gas Summit website. The event, sub-titled Future Fuel Natural Gas – Where Supply Meets Demand will run from October 3rd to 5th in Washington DC.
