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.
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Category: Policy
Alaska’s Department of Transport Studies CNG for State Fleet
August 25, 2010 – 2:48 am
Source: Petroleum News USA, Alaska
MIT Study Recognises Importance of Natural Gas as Bridge to Future
August 4, 2010 – 11:41 pm
USA, Cambridge MA
Natural gas truly is a bridge to a low-carbon future,” said MITEI Director Ernest J. Moniz
Recommendation for transportation sector: remove policy and regulatory barriers to natural gas as a transportation fuel
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has completed a two year study which examined the scale of U.S. natural gas reserves and the potential of this fuel to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. Undertaken by the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), the study concluded that natural gas will play a leading role in reducing GHG emissions over the next several decades.
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AFVi Survey: Adopting Alternative Fuel Vehicles is Top Strategy – Natural Gas Dominant Preference
July 25, 2010 – 2:32 pm
USA
At 34%, natural gas dominates survey responses.
The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute, which organized the Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference + Expo 2010, has released the results of a survey, in which participants were asked about one policy or initiative that their company is using to green their fleet. 89% said incorporating, expanding and/or replacing existing vehicles with “alternative fuel vehicles” is their top strategy. Of those that indicated a preferred fuel type, natural gas was the dominant preference, attracting 34% of respondents ahead of 6 other fuels.
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US Report: Natural Gas Truck Best Policy Option to Reduce Petroleum Reliance
July 19, 2010 – 3:23 am
Source: NGVAmerica USA
A report released in the US by Resources for the Future (RFF) and the National Energy Policy Institute (NEPI) concludes that expanding the use of natural gas trucks is the most effective and cost-effective policy option available to decrease reliance on petroleum. The report, Toward a New National Energy Policy: Assessing the Options, assesses 35 different policy options for reducing oil consumption and carbon emissions.
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Canadian Deployment Roadmap for HD Natural Gas Progresses
July 18, 2010 – 4:26 pm
Canada
The Windsor-Detroit corridor is Canada’s busiest artery of trade.
Agree to focus on HD vehicles in key corridors and return-to-base fleets in near term
A June roundtable was convened by Natural Resources Canada to serve as a checkpoint on work that has been underway since late March when the deployment roadmap for natural gas in transportation was launched, reports Alicia Milner, President of the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance (CNGVA). All six working groups reported back.
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California Extends HOV Exemption for NGVs But Not Gasoline Hybrids
July 10, 2010 – 6:26 am
USA, California
CA Signage for HOV Lanes
Last week, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Assembly Bill 1500, which gives solo drivers in natural gas or pure electric vehicles access to the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in the state until January 1, 2015. HOV is commonly referred to as car-pooling. Explaining the legislation, NGVAmerica says these vehicles qualify because they are classified as Inherently Low Emission Vehicles and Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles. Drivers of hybrids and plug-in hybrids will lose their access to the HOV lanes at the end of 2011. Access to HOV lanes has been an important non-monetary incentive for fleet owners to buy alternative fuel vehicles. Because fleet owners need adequate lead time to make vehicle replacement decisions, it is important that they be assured the single occupancy HOV lane access will be continued beyond the current sunset date of 2011.
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NGVAmerica Amongst Joint Voices Urging Obama to Develop US Clean Energy Plan
July 1, 2010 – 3:36 pm
USA
US President Obama talks with BP Chairman Svanberg in the Oval Office, June 16 2010
Last week U.S. President Obama addressed the nation on the oil catastrophe resulting from the April 20 explosion of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. NGVAmerica, joining 13 other national, regional and local organizations, took the opportunity to urge the President and the country to develop a comprehensive clean energy plan that would accelerate the use of alternatively fueled vehicles.
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Japan Encourages NGV Trucks
June 30, 2010 – 1:51 am
Source: The Electric Daily News Japan, Tokyo
Japan’s gas industry, encouraged by the huge uptake of natural gas for municipal buses in nearby Republic of Korea, has apparently adopted a policy to support natural gas vehicle transportation in its own country, advocating for high-efficiency trucks and reduced costs for fueling stations, reports the Electric Daily News. Long-distance truck transport and other freight transport accounts for about one-third of Japan’s total CO2 emissions in the transportation sector. A move to natural gas, reportedly supported by the Japan Gas Association, is expected to have an immediate and positive effect on the environment by significantly reducing emissions.
NGVAmerica Highlights Importance of Aftermarket Conversions at EPA Hearing
June 25, 2010 – 1:35 pm
USA
Last month, the US EPA issued a long-awaited proposed rulemaking for aftermarket conversion systems, for which a public hearing (23 June) has now taken place. At the hearing, NGVAmerica told the agency that its proposal to streamline the process for certifying natural gas vehicle aftermarket conversions is one of the most important steps government can take to expand the use of non-petroleum fuels.
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US Mayor Conference Backs NAT GAS Act
June 18, 2010 – 1:02 am
USA, Oklahoma
At its 78th Annual Meeting, the US Conference of Mayors, for mayors of cities with populations greater than 30,000 people, lent its weight to adoption of the NAT Gas Act (New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2009) and other natural gas vehicle incentives. The NAT GAS Bill was introduced to the US Congress at the beginning of April 2009. At the meeting in Oklahoma the following resolution was adopted:
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EC Proposal to Incorporate UNECE Vehicle Type-Approval – Cuts Double Legislation
June 17, 2010 – 6:02 pm
Europe
The European Commission proposal to drastically simplify and reduce European legislation will incorporate directly into European law 61 different Regulations of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) for the type-approval of vehicles. It will end the duality between EC Directives and UNECE Regulations. The proposal will now be transmitted to the Member States for approval.
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Peru Bill Promotes CNG Engine Imports
June 16, 2010 – 8:02 pm
Peru
The Peruvian Committee on Transport and Communications, chaired by Congressman Diaz Juvenal Silva (NSG), has introduced a bill to promote the import of Euro-3 compliant CNG, LPG and bi-fuel engines, by raising for consideration a number of tax incentives aimed at reducing custom duties and VAT cost to importers, reports La Republica. The bill proposes a period of five years for the scheme and will also include depreciation incentives for vehicle owners. The National Transport Confederation of Peru supports the bill, believing it’s introduction will reduce the number of unfit vehicles currently used for public transportation, and provide environmental benefits at the same time.
EU Commission Defines Actions for Unlocking Potential Benefits from Improved Bio-waste Management
June 3, 2010 – 11:50 pm
Europe
On 18th May 2010 the European Commission released a Communication with reference COM(2010)235 final to the Council and the European Parliament on future steps in bio-waste management in the European Union (see below). The introductory statement defines the parameters: “In the EU between 118 and 138 million tonnes of bio-waste are produced every year, of which about 88 million tonnes is municipal waste. It is projected to increase on average by 10% by 2020. On the EU average 40% of bio-waste is still landfilled (up to 100% in some Member States). However, landfilling (1) invokes major environmental risks such as emissions of greenhouse gases and pollution of soil and groundwater and, (2) withdraws valuable resources (compost, energy) irrevocably from economic and natural cycles” (see art. 1, p. 2).
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Oklahoma Legislation Will Establish CNG Interstate Highway
June 1, 2010 – 2:26 pm
USA, Oklahoma
The US State of Oklahoma has signed into law the Oklahoma Energy Security Act (HB3028). The goal of the legislation is “to reduce the dependence of Oklahoma and the United States on foreign oil, to improve the security of the United States in the world and to improve the economic well-being of the citizens of Oklahoma. The Legislature hereby expresses its intent to take steps to increase the energy independence of the United States by increasing the use of domestic energy and renewable energy sources in Oklahoma.” Included are specific provisions for natural gas vehicle refueling, under Section 7:
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The American Power Act – New US Legislation Includes Natural Gas Provisions
May 14, 2010 – 2:24 am
USA
Natural gas vehicles in the US would get an economic boost from legislation introduced late last week by Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman. The two senators included provisions in their proposed climate change legislation, the American Power Act, that would support the production and purchase of natural gas vehicles, reports NGVAmerica.
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