Marietta, OH Evaluates Converting All City Vehicles to CNG

Marietta, Ohio Mayor Joe Matthews is looking into converting all of the city’s gasoline powered vehicles to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), to cut down on costs.

The projected natural gas boom through the fracking industry could drastically lower the cost to fuel the fleet of vehicles used in the city of Marietta, said…Matthews.

A gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline in Marietta was $3.39 on Monday, and for a gallon of natural gas it was $2.25 per gallon at the nearest CNG refueling station in Zanesville. In Newark, natural gas was $1.80 per gallon.

Operating as a municipality with its own refueling station, the cost for natural gas drops even lower, according to figures Matthews has seen.

"They’re running about 50 cents a gallon when they do it," Matthews said. "You’re talking probably saving three bucks a gallon. That would be a nice savings."*

Fifty cents vs. $3.39 – sure makes sense to us! Good luck to Marietta. Perhaps they’ll blaze a trail for others to follow.

*Marietta (OH) The Marietta Times (Jun 26, 2012) – Natural gas