CNG Fuel a Big Hit in Utah - August 27th, 2007
As far back as high school, which was a shade past 25 years now, I knew a family that drove a car powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). Everyone in town described Freddy as “strange” anyway, so it didn’t seem unusual that he’d drive an unusual car. My own Dad would watch the guy motor past and opine that some day we were going to get to watch him and that car sailing over town when it all blew. That never happened and other than occasionally seeing a bus or other public vehicle that is powered with natural gas, I’ve never given the subject much thought.
Today, however, a piece from AutoBlogGreen came through the RSS reader about the popularity of the alternative fuel in Utah where Questar Gas runs a chain of fueling stations. Over the past two years Questar has experienced a sixty percent growth rate that can be attributed to both incentives from the state government and the rising price of gasoline. Get this. Filling up with natural gas costs $0.736 cents a gallon.
Right now the only natural gas passenger vehicle on the market is the Honda Civic GX, but if you figure in a federal tax credit of $4,000 and (provided you live in Utah) a state credit of $3,000 and the deal starts looking sweeter by the minute. Here in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex we’re experiencing a natural gas boom thanks to the field known as the Barnett Shale. Even toney, upscale, Texas Christian University is allowing a drilling platform to go in next to the football field, lured by the millions they’ll be raking in over the next few years. Makes me wonder if we may be seeing more CNG vehicles in these parts in the near future.
Posted on August 27th, 2007 by Shorty
Filed under: alternative fuels |
