Governors Fallin (R-OK) and Hickenlooper (D-CO) Joint Effort on CNG Vehicles for Use in State Automobile Fleets

Applaud the efforts of Governor Fallin (R-OK) and Governor Hickenlooper (D-CO) to get Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles into the state fleets.  Note to members of Congress -- this is a bi-partisan effort between the Republican Governor of Oklahoma and the Democrat Governor of Colorado who have been joined by governors of both parties from other states in the effort.

It would be great if members of Congress would do the same thing -- work together for the good of all Americans instead of being stuck on pure partisan politics.  It is getting worse not better with the Republicans in charge which I didn't think was possible.  Starting to see more signs on cars about voting to oust the current Do-Nothing Congress.  Makes sense why Mary Fallin wanted to leave Congress to come back to run for Oklahoma Governor because she could get things done and make a difference in the lives of Oklahomans.

At the University of Oklahoma, they have been a leader in converting their vehicles to use CNG -- there is actually a CNG station on the North Base of OU which used to be a Navy Flight Training facility in WWII before it was turned over to the University and is the home of OU's Max Westheimer Airport.  When you drive by on Flood Avenue you see the price of $1.25 per gallon and then go buy gas for $3.19 a gallon which makes you stop and think.  More and more gas stations in Oklahoma have a pump for CNG which is a good sign.

Here in Norman, they are even turning the fleet of garbage trucks to CNG as they buy new ones along with the fleet of city vehicles being converted.  It is not just Norman but cities around the Country who are going to CNG for their vehicles. IMHO this is the way for city and states to go not the electric vehicles as no new power plants are needed for CNG vehicles.

Governors Fallin and Hickenlooper are on the right track IMHO!   Why not have vehicles that burn a clean fuel and make the air better for all of us to breath?  It is a great start and before it is done, would like to see all the states and the federal government participate.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

August 8, 2012 

Auto Manufacturers Converge in Oklahoma to Discuss CNG Vehicles for State Fleets 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Representatives from the nation's auto manufacturers, including the Big Three, are in Oklahoma City today to meet with Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and procurement experts to ask questions surrounding a recently issued multistate request for proposal. 

The RFP, which comes as a result of a nationwide, bi-partisan effort led by Fallin and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, asks the nation's auto manufacturers to produce affordable and functional compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles for use in state automobile fleets. 

As of today, 22 states have joined the RFP, indicating their intention to purchase CNG vehicles for use in state fleets. 

With 123,000 CNG vehicles in the nation, and 1,000 fueling stations, the governors hope that this new commitment will help overcome the obstacles, including limited infrastructure and consumer demand, which may be holding automakers back from producing a wider variety of CNG vehicles. 

"The objective behind our efforts is simple," said Fallin. "We want auto manufacturers to know that states mean business and are strongly committed to the use of CNG vehicles in state fleets so more vehicles can become available to consumers." 

Fallin added, "By incorporating more CNG vehicles into our state fleets, we can save tax dollars by reducing the amount we spend on fuel. We can also support the use of an abundant, American-made energy source that will help create jobs, strengthen tax revenue bases at the state level, improve the environment, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

Wednesday's meeting, which is open to the public, is intended to provide a general overview of the RFP and an open-forum opportunity for dealers and automakers to ask questions of the states' representatives. 

The Governors' efforts demonstrate the demand and need for natural gas as a clean and efficient fuel to power automobiles and trucks. The natural gas vehicles industry, however, still faces hurdles. Chief among those is a pending rule proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is poised to place natural gas vehicles at a competitive disadvantage relative to other alternative fuel vehicles. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards currently being considered by the federal government lean heavily towards electric cars, discouraging auto manufactures from producing more CNG vehicles and creating an uneven playing field for alternative transportation fuel technologies. 

"We're at a critical juncture right now. It's vital that the federal government remains technology-neutral and lets the market decide what alternative fuel technologies work," said Fallin. "We want the nation to realize that clean-burning natural gas is a technology that works today and offers a viable path toward achieving energy independence in the U.S." 

While 14 Governors have signed a MOU in support of the initiative, in total 22 states have shown an interest in the RFP including Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The RFP was coordinated by the National Association of State Procurement Officials, which leverages the purchasing power of states by aggregating purchases on a variety of products. 

Click here to review a copy of the RFP.