Dave Huntsman

Compressed Natural Gas: Key to American Energy Independence?

The article ends with

<i> Now all we need is for American capitalism to follow up and take advantage of this opportunity.</i>

I don't think that will happen - in a timely manner (which would be, now) - without the government taking the lead jump-starting the fuel infrastructure chicken-and-egg issue. (Sort of like how the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are jump-starting things at the Port, banning all 'old' diesel engine trucks in a few years; and replacing them with 8000 cleaner diesel - and 8000 LNG/CNG trucks; all paid for by a current levy of $70 per container).

A logical Federal jump-start for the nation would be:
- Set the national goal of having the following with a CNG/LNG fueling stations <i>in 5 years</i>:
- every airport;
- every port;
- all interstates, which are the arteries of the nation.
- all municipal bus fleets.


- Start off with an executive order that all Federal government domestic business, including civil service/military travel, is to: use only ng powered cars now, where available; and use NG cars, only, post 2012. This requirement alone - plus the knowledge that refueling stations <i>were</i>... coming - would be enough for all rental car agencies in the country to have some in stock


Along with whatever other incentive programs would be in place to encourage creating the stations (tax breaks et al), these mandates would be sufficient to jump-start the rest of the country. Knowing that fueling is available at every major airport; at every port; and along all interstates, would be enough to enable the whole nation into having ng vehicles.

Airport, port, and even municipal bus mandates would not be hard, at all; after all they all get Federal money; in addition, that's where much of the leadership in natural gas vehicle use is already being shown. In short, there already forces going in that direction; and a mandate from the Feds, with tax breaks et al behind it, would be enough to galvanize them all across the country. (Including vehicle producers; the failed American car companies are now deciding to get into the ng act).

It's the interstates - or arteries of the nation - that would require the most creativity and work. But even there, working with the states already heading in that direction, such as California, first, and with the proper incentives, it can be done. And unlike 10 years ago, high-quality ng engines now exist; as well as much of a basic fuel transportation infrastructure (natural gas pipelines). This is much more doable than any mandates for things that don't really exist- yet; ie, cost effective biodiesel, or cellulosic ethanol, or clean hydrogen. Unlike those, there is absolutely no technological hurdles remaining; one reason it really can be jump-started for the whole country in only five years. Something both Barack Obama and John McCain could jump on and both agree on, if either of them understood energy issues.

Jump-starting the shift to ng as a fuel, replacing oil imports with something that is cleaner, less-greenhouse warming, cheaper, and domestic (ie more US jobs), also, (he says, cheekily) removes more and more oil demand from the world which would reduce the subsidies to Vladmir Putin from invading countries; Caesar Chavez from wrecking South America; and lessen the small percentage of monies being syphoned off in the Middle East to support islamic extremism. Not bad.

jp