Washington’s Capitol Hill recently became the venue for a gathering of natural gas vehicle (NGV) advocates stressing the urgent need to pass the newly introduced “New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions” (NAT GAS) Act of 2011. The bill (H.R. 1380) would accelerate the use of natural gas fuel in the nation’s transportation sector.
Joined at the event by more than 20 members of Congress, Clean Energy co-founder and energy expert T. Boone Pickens urged his fellow Americans and Congressional leaders “to look to America’s clean, abundant and affordable natural gas reserves as the key to our energy future.”
The event displayed more than a dozen natural gas-powered vehicles — ranging from passenger cars to 18-wheelers — provided by numerous companies, organizations and manufacturers. On display were NGVs from: AT&T, Ryder System Inc., the Vehicle Production Group Inc., BAF Technologies, IMPCO Automotive, Westport, General Motors Corp., Washington Gas, Kenworth, Dillon Transport, Navistar and others. The scope of vehicles demonstrated the application of NGVs across a broad range of industry sectors.
Richard Kolodziej, president of NGVAmerica, noted that last year natural gas vehicles displaced more than 350 million gallons of petroleum in the United States. “More and more manufacturers are providing natural gas vehicles because their customers are asking for them,” said Kolodziej. “When you have companies such as AT&T and Ryder, whose vehicles are on display here today, and many others, you know that these vehicles are proven and reliable. And, most importantly to fleets, their fuel costs are much lower. This is good for jobs, for the environment and for the country.”
