NG Vehicles

Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Statewide PA | Washington County

Range Rolls Out New Fleet of CNG Trucks in SW PA
August 8, 2013August 8, 2013

Range Resources is practicing what it preaches–or rather consuming what it produces. Yesterday at a ceremony at Range’s regional HQ in Southpointe (near Pittsburgh), the company showed off a new fleet of Dodge and Chevy pickup trucks that run on compressed natural gas (CNG). With the new trucks added, Range now operates 100 of them out of their Southpointe operation. With CNG prices running at the gasoline equivalent of around $2 per gallon, Range says the trucks will pay for themselves within two years due to the low price of using CNG.

According to the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection, by the end of this year there will be 100 CNG fueling stations across PA. More and more Pennsylvanians are interested in converting to CNG vehicles…
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Commodity Price | Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Research

New IEA Report: NatGas in Transportation About to “Take Off”
June 20, 2013June 20, 2013

The International Energy Agency (IEA) today released their Medium-Term Gas Market Report (MTGMR), in which they say U.S. natural gas production will accelerate from 2014 through 2018 as higher prices spur drilling and infrastructure expansion brings more shale supplies to market. There are a number of interesting tidbits in the study (see a summary and slide show embedded below).

Among the predictions in the report is that natural gas is about to take off in a major way as a transportation fuel, making a serious dent in oil: “Thanks to abundant shale gas in the United States and amid more stringent environmental policies in China, gas is expected to do more to slow oil demand growth than electric vehicles and biofuels combined.”

The IEA press release announcing the latest MTGMR:
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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Research

NE Garbage Trucks Making the Change from Diesel to NatGas
May 23, 2013

The nonprofit organization Energy Vision published a new 72-page report yesterday titled “Tomorrow’s Trucks: Leaving the Era of Oil Behind” (full copy embedded below) which looks at how the “refuse sector” (i.e. garbage trucks) in the Northeast are making the change to clean-burning natural gas. For example, in New Jersey there were no natural gas garbage trucks five years ago, but today there are more than 180, according to Chuck Feinberg, chairman of the New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition.

The report chronicles the change taking place and takes a close look at New York City, Long Island and New Jersey and the efforts underway in each of those areas.
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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Envelope Please: Winners of Shale Gas Innovation Contest are…
May 8, 2013May 8, 2013

For the second year running, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center selects three winners from a field of 12 entrants to award a $25,000 prize in its Shale Gas Innovation Contest–a contest that recognizes startups and small businesses and gives them visibility and encouragement for their efforts.

MDN previously highlighted this year’s entrants, particularly because we’re acquainted with one of them (see REV LNG, 11 Others Finalists in Shale Gas Innovation Contest for the entire list of this year’s entrants). We won’t keep you waiting any longer. The envelope please! This year’s three winners are…
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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles

Have We Reached the Tipping Point for LNG Trucks?
April 26, 2013April 26, 2013

Yesterday MDN brought you the announcement from UPS that they have just committed to adding an additional 700 new LNG tractor trailers to their current fleet of 112 LNG tractors (see UPS to Grow NG Fleet with Additional 700 LNG Tractor Trailers). An article by the New York Times assembles all of the strings that provides in evidence, to MDN, that we may well have just reached a “tipping point” where natural gas vehicles, at least for trucking fleets, and will now start to rapidly expand. What are those strings?…

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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles

UPS to Grow NG Fleet with Additional 700 LNG Tractor Trailers
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

Hats off to UPS—the shipping company that’s probably made a delivery to your business or home within the past week. A week doesn’t go by that MDN HQ doesn’t get a delivery from the big brown truck! UPS currently has a fleet of 2,600 alternative fuel vehicles—running on everything from electric to biomethane. They’re adding another 700 new vehicles to that number—all of them liquefied natural gas (LNG) tractor trailers. UPS will also build four private refueling stations as part of the program—three in Tennessee and one in Texas.

LNG is different from CNG, or compressed natural gas. LNG is natural gas cooled to the point it becomes a liquid and is typically used in long haul vehicles, like tractor trailers. CNG is typically used in passenger vehicles and short haul trucks. Here’s the announcement from UPS about growing their long haul fleet using LNG:

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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles

T. Boone Pickens Let’s the "F" Word Fly Re NatGas & DC
April 16, 2013April 16, 2013

Boone Pickens is worked up about the lack of vision and foresight on the part of Washington, D.C. politicians—when it comes to converting trucking fleets to run on natural gas. He’s so worked up, in fact, that he let the "f" word fly in referring to said politicians during a recent conversation with a Bloomberg Businessweek reporter.

In Boone’s own words…

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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Ohio | Summit County

Akron, OH Getting First Public Natural Gas Filling Station Soon
April 11, 2013April 11, 2013

On Monday, the Akron, OH City Council approved plans for a new natural gas filling station to be located at the corner of South Arlington Street and Palmetto Avenue. The bonus: It’s being built by a "home grown" Akron company…

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Industrywide Issues | Jobs | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Republicans Introduce Marcellus Tax Credits to Create Jobs
April 11, 2013April 11, 2013

Pennsylvania Republicans want the burgeoning Marcellus Shale industry in the state to create even more jobs for Pennsylvanians–so they’ve introduced legislation that will grant tax credits (not assistance, just a break on high taxes) to companies that do things like convert fleets of vehicles from running on gasoline to running on CNG (compressed natural gas). The amounts add up to a few million dollars, a fly speck in the overall budget, but of course it makes the state’s Democrats apoplectic:

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Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Antero Res 2nd Marcellus Driller to Use 100% NatGas Rig Engines
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

The parade of rig conversions in the Marcellus Shale to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) continues. MDN previously told you about first EQT, then CONSOL switching to duel-fuel LNG/diesel engines. After EQT and CONSOL, Seneca Resources started to convert drilling rigs to run on 100% LNG (see Seneca Boasts First 100% LNG-Powered Drill Rig in Marcellus). You may now add Antero Resources to the club.

Antero recently converted the first of three rigs in West Virginia to run on 100% natural gas engines manufactured (as they were for Seneca) by General Electric. The engines will run on LNG, propane or even dry "field gas" that comes from the well itself. Kewl. From the Antero/GE press release:

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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

REV LNG, 11 Others Finalists in Shale Gas Innovation Contest
April 4, 2013April 4, 2013

A shout-out and big congratulations to REV LNG (headquartered near Rochester, NY), one of 12 finalists in this year’s Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation Contest. Each year the Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center conducts a contest looking for the “best shale gas-oriented innovations, new product ideas, or service concepts that are either in the development stage or recently launched.” They are awarding three $25,000 prizes this year.

Through his work with Shale Daily, MDN editor Jim Willis has had the pleasure of working with, and learning about, the unique technology REV LNG has developed. The company is one of the very few in the United States that buys, transports and sets up “mobile filling stations” (at drill pad sites) so drillers can use liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power their equipment. REV LNG’s uniqueness is that it’s a turn-key service. Customers just pay a “per gallon” fee to fill it up, and REV LNG takes care of the rest. We wish them well in the competition!

Here’s the press release and full list of all the very worthy companies selected to be in the final 12:

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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV NatGas Vehicle Task Force Releases 17 Recommendations
February 22, 2013February 22, 2013

In June 2012, then acting (now newly elected) WV Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin appointed a 21-member Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force with the mission of providing a road map for converting at least part of the state’s fleet of vehicles to run on natural gas (see WV Task Force Investigates CNG for State Vehicles).

The task force met, talked, researched and did their job. Yesterday, Gov. Tomblin released a 38-page report containing the task force’s recommendations along with loads of other useful information including helpful maps (a full copy of the report is embedded below). Here’s a quick list of the task force’s 17 recommendations:

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Alternative Energy | Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Gov. Tomblin Proposes Ending Tax Credit for Electric Cars
February 19, 2013February 19, 2013

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed into law a tax credit in 2011 that covers 35% of the cost for “alternative fuel vehicles”—up to $7,500 for passenger cars and $25,000 for large trucks. His “good intentions” are costing too much. The original bill covered many types of alternative fuels, including electric and coal liquids. Gov. Tomblin wants to change that. He’s proposing new legislation that eliminates the tax credit—now—for all vehicle types except those that run on natural gas.

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Energy Services | IGS Energy | Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Statewide WV | West Virginia

CNG Fueling Corridor for Motorists Comes to WV – Fill ’er Up!
January 18, 2013January 18, 2013

IGS Energy, America’s largest independent supplier of retail natural gas, believes natural gas is no longer the “fuel of tomorrow” when it comes to vehicles, but instead is “the fuel of today.” One of the biggest issues for the adoption and use of natural gas-powered vehicles is lack of fueling stations. IGS announced yesterday they are building a string of CNG (compressed natural gas) fueling stations along Interstate 79 from Charleston, WV to Mount Morris, PA—an area they have dubbed the “CNG Fueling Corridor.”

IGS says this is just the beginning…

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Bradford County | Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania

Northeast PA Convenience Store Chain Installs CNG Pumps
January 18, 2013January 18, 2013

In what seems to be a flood of news about CNG (compressed natural gas) filling stations popping up for vehicles, a convenience store chain in the Marcellus-rich area of northeastern PA is in the process of installing CNG filling pumps at three (so far) of it’s 70 stores in PA and NY.

One of the three locations—Towanda (Bradford County), PA—is having its “grand opening” today, but the new pump has already been operating for about month. Towanda is the very first public CNG filling location in northern PA:

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Centre County | Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania

More CNG Vehicles on the Way in Centre County, PA
January 14, 2013January 14, 2013

More evidence that compressed natural gas vehicles (CNG) are taking off comes from Centre County, PA where local elected officials are applying for a grant to help purchase CNG vehicles for the county and local towns.

Aside from the cost to convert vehicles to CNG (which state and federal grants help with), the only thing that really holds back local municipalities from adopting CNG technology are fueling stations:

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