Obama’s Clean Fuels Partnership gives NGVs a boost

    April 5, 2011
    Natural gas vehicle proponents were elated when US President Barack Obama announced formation of a National Clean Fuels Partnership Apr. 1 in Landover, Md. The president may have spoken more about hybrids and electric vehicles, but NGVs still made it into his remarks.“If we’re serious about making the transition from gas-guzzlers to hybrids, then we’ve got to show automakers and truck manufacturers that there’s a real market,” he said. “They're not going to build them if they don't think anybody’s going to buy them. We need to show them that if they manufacture fuel-efficient cars and trucks, people will buy them. We need to put our money where our mouth is.”UPS, FedEx, AT&T, Verizon, PepsiCo, and other large businesses already have developed large fleets that run on fuels besides diesel and gasoline, Obama noted. “That’s why we’re launching a National Clean Fleets Partnership,” he said. “If you’re a business that needs to transport goods, then I’m challenging you to replace your old fleet with a clean energy fleet that’s not only good for your bottom line, but good for our economy, good for our country, and good for our planet. And if you accept this challenge and you join our Clean Fleets Partnership, we’re going to make a number of tools available – from technical assistance to cutting-edge research and development – that will help you make the transition to a clean energy fleet.”Obama said that he has heard repeatedly from owners of vehicles which run on petroleum alternatives that refueling infrastructure is critical. “We don’t have the distribution platforms right now. That’s something we’ve really got to work on,” he observed.Oil and gas industry groups applauded the president’s remarks. “We welcome the president’s focus on natural gas as an option for transportation fuels and hope to see administration policies and programs that will encourage, rather than discourage, the production and distribution of this important domestic resource,” said Bob Greco, the American Petroleum Institute’s downstream operations director. “We also need sensible policies that preserve a robust U.S. refining industry to supply fuels for the existing vehicle fleet for years to come. We hope that the president is signaling a true shift for clear, effective policies that make use of our domestic resources while preserving this important industry.”“In making his announcement at a UPS facility today, the president selected a company that has a fleet of more than 1,100 natural gas delivery trucks,” said Tom Amontee, executive vice president at America’s Natural Gas Alliance. “[NGVs] outperform conventional fuels with a significantly higher octane rating, better fuel efficiency and lower operating costs - all while offering dramatic reductions in emissions. With the price of natural gas nearing half that of traditional gasoline, greater use of [NGVs] is a smart business decision as well.”When Christopher A. Smith, who heads the US Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy Office, addressed an American Gas Association Natural Gas Roundtable luncheon on Feb. 22, he noted that Colombia, where he spent three years, has 300,000 NGVs on the road. “The technology is there,” he said, adding that it’s also much more advanced than the technology for electric vehicles.
    Natural gas vehicle proponents were elated when US President Barack Obama announced formation of a National Clean Fuels Partnership Apr. 1 in Landover, Md. The president may have spoken more about hybrids and electric vehicles, but NGVs still made it into his remarks.“If we’re serious about making the transition from gas-guzzlers to hybrids, then we’ve got to show automakers and truck manufacturers that there’s a real market,” he said. “They're not going to build them if they don't think anybody’s going to buy them. We need to show them that if they manufacture fuel-efficient cars and trucks, people will buy them. We need to put our money where our mouth is.”UPS, FedEx, AT&T, Verizon, PepsiCo, and other large businesses already have developed large fleets that run on fuels besides diesel and gasoline, Obama noted. “That’s why we’re launching a National Clean Fleets Partnership,” he said. “If you’re a business that needs to transport goods, then I’m challenging you to replace your old fleet with a clean energy fleet that’s not only good for your bottom line, but good for our economy, good for our country, and good for our planet. And if you accept this challenge and you join our Clean Fleets Partnership, we’re going to make a number of tools available – from technical assistance to cutting-edge research and development – that will help you make the transition to a clean energy fleet.”Obama said that he has heard repeatedly from owners of vehicles which run on petroleum alternatives that refueling infrastructure is critical. “We don’t have the distribution platforms right now. That’s something we’ve really got to work on,” he observed.Oil and gas industry groups applauded the president’s remarks. “We welcome the president’s focus on natural gas as an option for transportation fuels and hope to see administration policies and programs that will encourage, rather than discourage, the production and distribution of this important domestic resource,” said Bob Greco, the American Petroleum Institute’s downstream operations director. “We also need sensible policies that preserve a robust U.S. refining industry to supply fuels for the existing vehicle fleet for years to come. We hope that the president is signaling a true shift for clear, effective policies that make use of our domestic resources while preserving this important industry.”“In making his announcement at a UPS facility today, the president selected a company that has a fleet of more than 1,100 natural gas delivery trucks,” said Tom Amontee, executive vice president at America’s Natural Gas Alliance. “[NGVs] outperform conventional fuels with a significantly higher octane rating, better fuel efficiency and lower operating costs - all while offering dramatic reductions in emissions. With the price of natural gas nearing half that of traditional gasoline, greater use of [NGVs] is a smart business decision as well.”When Christopher A. Smith, who heads the US Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy Office, addressed an American Gas Association Natural Gas Roundtable luncheon on Feb. 22, he noted that Colombia, where he spent three years, has 300,000 NGVs on the road. “The technology is there,” he said, adding that it’s also much more advanced than the technology for electric vehicles.
    About the Author

    Nick Snow

    NICK SNOW covered oil and gas in Washington for more than 30 years. He worked in several capacities for The Oil Daily and was founding editor of Petroleum Finance Week before joining OGJ as its Washington correspondent in September 2005 and becoming its full-time Washington editor in October 2007. He retired from OGJ in January 2020. 

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