The US Congress passed and the President signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 on January 2nd, bringing into play a package of tax credit extensions for 2012 and 2013, which the Senate Finance Committee had previously passed. Importantly for the Natural Gas vehicle (NGV) industry, the tax credit extensions in the Act include the NGVAmerica-promoted tax credits for the sale of compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) when used as a fuel for transportation and the tax credit for natural gas fueling equipment. Read more »
NGVAmerica Develops Model Legislation for Taxation of CNG and LNG
NGVAmerica, the trade association that represents the U.S. natural gas vehicle industry, has released a draft of model legislation to address the state-level taxation of compressed (CNG) and Liquefied (LNG) natural gas. NGVAmerica members as well as other trade associations were represented on the task force that developed the model legislation. The goal is to ensure that natural gas is taxed on an energy equivalent basis with gasoline and diesel fuel, and that uniform conversion factors are used for these calculations. Read more »
U.S. LNG Production Facilities Listed
Bowerman Landfill LNG Facility, Irvine CA
U.S. national natural gas vehicle association NGVAmerica, and research firm Zeus Intelligence, have announced a new information service for anyone interested in access to trailer loads of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Zeus has compiled and will regularly update a list of all the LNG facilities around the country that have the capability to offload LNG into trailers for truck delivery to user sites. The list is now publicly accessible from the NGVAmerica website (www.ngvamerica.org). Read more »
NGVAmerica Acknowledges NGV Advocates and Leaders with Achievement Awards
NGVAmerica and the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF), two organizations dedicated to increasing the use of natural gas-powered vehicles to improve air quality, lessen dependence on foreign oil and reduce fleet operator costs in the USA, have announced ten 2012 winners of the prestigious NGV Achievement Award in addition to one NGV Lifetime Achievement Award. The awards are given to persons and organizations in recognition of their outstanding contributions in leadership, vision and innovation to the advancement of natural gas as a vehicular fuel. Read more »
New NGV Forum for USA
NGVAmerica, a national organization dedicated to the development of a growing, sustainable and profitable market for vehicles powered by natural gas or biomethane across the USA, has unveiled the “NGV Forum”, a new on-line industry news, analysis and dialogue service. It provides members of the American NGV community the opportunity to share their views and opinions on the important issues facing the natural gas vehicle industry today. Read more »
Obama’s Budget FY 2013 Request Includes NGV Incentives
US President Barack Obama has released his Budget Request for the Fiscal Year starting on October 1, 2012 (FY 2013). NGVAmerica reports that for the first time, the proposed budget includes requests for a number of NGV incentives, many of which are similar to provisions that are in the NAT GAS Acts (HR 1380 and S. 1863). The tax proposals are outlined and explained in the US Treasury’s “Green Book”. The following is a list of the NGV provisions with a reference to the corresponding page number in the Green Book where an explanation is provided: Read more »
Pennsylvania DEP Clarifies Natural Gas Conversion
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued technical guidance clarifying that natural gas conversions are authorized under the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program. New passenger car or light-duty truck conversion systems certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the California Resources Air Board may be installed on vehicles in Pennsylvania. NGVAmerica has commented “this means increased access to NGVs since currently all light-duty bi-fuel vehicles available in the market are exclusively EPA certified”. Read more »
NGVAmerica and CVEF Honor US NGV Achievers
At the NGV Conference-Summit in Texas in late October, eight companies were honored with the 2011 NGV Achievement Award for their efforts in advancing the development of NGVs in the United States. This is the 19th year that NGVAmerica and the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) have presented the awards. The 2011 award winners are: Read more »
Integrys Energy Buys Into CNG Fueling
Integrys Energy Group, Inc., a diversified holding company with utility operations, has acquired two operating businesses involved in the compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling business, Pinnacle CNG Systems and Trillium USA, previously owned by Wagner & Brown, Ltd. The transaction allows Integrys Energy Group to enter the CNG fueling marketplace, bring demonstrated capability to customers and enable market growth. Read more »
US Administration Finalizes MD-HD Fuel Efficiency and GHG Standards
On Tuesday, the U.S. EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. NGVAmerica, the Natural Gas Vehicles for America association, has provided a summary of the outcomes for the US natural gas vehicle industry, noting this is the first time that such rules have been imposed on this class of vehicles and engines. The regulations start to take effect in 2014 and will be fully phased-in by 2018. The fuel efficiency regulations actually lag the GHG rules by two years, not taking effect until 2016.
Benefits of HD NGVs Understated in New US Rules
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation has released a 958-page document that includes new regulations that will reduce emissions and increase the fuel economy for medium and heavy-duty trucks. But NGVAmerica, a national organization dedicated to the development of a growing, sustainable and profitable market for vehicles powered by natural gas or hydrogen, strongly believes that the rules could have been even more effective in reducing emissions and reducing the use of imported petroleum. Read more »
NGVAmerica Updates List of Certified NGV Engines and Vehicles
NGVAmerica has assembled updated information about vehicles and/or engines that have been certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and/or California Air Resources Board (CARB) to operate on natural gas, now published on its website as Available Natural Gas Engines & Vehicles. Read more »
US Bill Aims to Remove Restriction on Producers Retail NGV Sales Activities
Last week Rep. Bill Cassedy (R-LA) introduced HR 1712 to the US House of Representatives. The bill ‘s intention is to exempt the sale of natural gas for use in natural gas vehicles (NGVs) for purposes of the retail sales limitations that define independent producers of petroleum products. If enacted, independent oil and natural gas companies would be able to engage in retail sales of natural gas to NGV users without jeopardizing their status as independent producers. H.R. 1712 has 49 cosponsors. Read more »
NGVAmerica Testifies on Natural Gas Fuel Benefits for USA
Fueling transit buses in Atlanta (Image: MARTA)
Given “proper government policies”, natural gas fuel for vehicles could reduce imports “the equivalent of about 10 billion gallons of gasoline within 15 years”, says Rich Kolodziej, NGVAmerica president.
Testifying before the U.S. House Energy and Power Subcommittee this week in a hearing entitled The American Energy Initiative: Challenges and Opportunities for Alternative Transportation Fuels and Vehicles, Richard Kolodziej, president of NGVAmerica, said the New Alternative to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act of 2011 (H.R. 1380) would jump start the use of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in the United States. These vehicles would be powered by domestically produced natural gas rather than gasoline or diesel. Read more »
As Prices Rise, US States Support Natural Gas Vehicles
“Currently, 23 state legislatures are considering bills that support natural gas as a transportation fuel…”
The state of Wyoming has responded to the ever increasing gasoline and diesel prices by passing a law ( HB235) directing two state agencies to begin switching their fleets to natural gas, reports the US natural gas vehicle association NGVAmerica. The law appropriates $200,000 for the Wyoming Department of Transportation and the Department of Administration and Information to retrofit or acquire vehicles in their fleets that are capable of running on natural gas. The state expects to switch 20 vehicles to natural gas. Read more »
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