I know this is not a 'fix' and may bring up prices in the short run but
It is interesting.
Quinta
Source - NGV Global
Friday, 22 August 2008 00:00
USA, Texas
The Texas General Land Office is expanding eligibility for their Natural
Gas Vehicle Initiative Grant Program to include private fleets in urban
counties. "Street sweepers, forklifts, buses and garbage trucks that run on
diesel are expensive and dirty," Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson said.
"This grant program helps convert these fleets to clean-burning natural gas,
which is produced right here in Texas, costs less and even earns money for
public education."
The Land Office grant program has already drawn the attention of public
entities, like the cities of Dallas and Austin, both of which have made
applications. The goal of opening up the grant program to private fleets is to
ensure that private companies doing contract work for public entities won't be
cut out, Patterson said.
Patterson said the biggest hurdle in switching to natural gas is the lack
of natural gas stations at every corner. "But once a network of CNG [compressed
natural gas] stations is developed, as in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the
savings can really start to add up," Patterson said. "Dallas alone now has a
fleet of more than 1,200 CNG vehicles."
The NGV grant program, provided to the Land Office through the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality, will be open in 34 counties in areas
specified by the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan to meet air quality program
goals. This $5 million grant program also is a step toward achieving President
Bush's goal of reducing U.S. gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years.
Eligible public partners in the Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth,
Houston, Tyler, Longview and Baytown areas also will be able to save money by
purchasing natural gas for their fleets from the Texas General Land Office's
State Energy Marketing Program. Proceeds from that program are earmarked for
the Permanent School Fund.
