Using natural gas instead of gasoline or diesel to power vehicles is a low-cost, low-emissions solution for reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign energy sources while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and urban smog. Natural gas-powered vehicles (NGVs) in use today are helping to improve air quality by displacing petroleum-powered cars, vans, trucks and buses which contribute about three fourths of the carbon dioxide pollution found in urban areas. In 2008, use of NGVs displaced almost 300 million gallons of petroleum use in the U.S. Increasing the use of natural gas, an abundant domestic resource, as a transportation fuel, is a national security imperative – 70% of the oil consumed by the U.S. is imported.
AGA Viewpoint and Advocacy
AGA Viewpoint on Natural Gas as a Transportation Fuel - Natural gas vehicles are a proven way to improve air quality, while reducing the United Statesʼ dependence on foreign oil.
New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2011 (NAT GAS Act)
AGA Statements and Comments Filed
The Drive Natural Gas Initiative (Drive Nat Gas) is a membership-based, collaborative effort of natural gas utilities and producers seeking to further develop the use of clean, domestic, affordable natural gas as a transportation fuel. Through Drive Nat Gas, over 50 natural gas industry members work to expand the role natural gas can play in enhancing national and energy security, improving air quality, and providing America with a more affordable and reliable source of transportation fuel.
Four standing committees, co-chaired by producer and utility representatives, focus on activities such as those described below. In addition, a Drive Nat Gas Steering Committee comprised equally of producer and utility member representatives approves the work plans and objectives of the four activity committees. The Steering Committee also serves the important function of facilitating information exchange and understanding of the unique regulatory environments that govern the production and delivery sides of the industry, so that the group may collaborate as productively as possible in advancing natural gas as a transportation fuel.
Drive Nat Gas activity committees cover the areas of Infrastructure Development, Vehicle Production/OEM Outreach, Advocacy, Marketing and Education. A sub-committee focuses on developing an economic home refueling device.
Drive Nat Gas membership is open to all AGA natural gas utility members with a two-year financial commitment. Please contact Drive Nat Gas Executive Director Kathryn Clay (kclay@aga.org) or Nadia Anderson (nanderson@aga.org), if interested in participating.
Natural Gas Fleet Savings Calculator
The Natural Gas Fleet Savings Calculator is a spreadsheet based, total cost of ownership evaluation tool designed to help fleet owners conduct a preliminary analysis of the total costs associated with converting a fleet, or part of a fleet, to natural gas. It comes pre-loaded with the current numbers for natural gas vehicle availability and cost, but it is also fully customizable for fleet managers to input the parameters that best describe the kind of vehicles they use, and how they use them.
Natural Gas Fleet Savings Calculator
Fleet Management: Utility Experiences
Funding For NGV Projects
Clean Cities Program
Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program (VET), designed to curb the consumption of petroleum in the transportation industry. Clean Cities advances the use of alternative fuels and vehicles in a number of applications such as school buses, transit buses, airport vehicles, taxis and delivery fleets. The program expands key infrastructure partnerships and promotes advanced technologies to the general public.
$300 million in recovery act funds have been announced for the Clean Cities program. Funding requests must be submitted by state, local government or a metropolitan transportation authority AND a designated Clean Cities organization.
Other Funding Opportunities
NGV News and Information
NGV Resources and Publications
AGA Contact: Kathryn Clay, (202) 824-7122, kclay@aga.org; Nadia Anderson, (202) 824-7311, nanderson@aga.org