At an educational symposium last week in Colorado, the state’s Governor, John Hickenlooper, went on the offensive for compressed natural gas as a vehicular fuel. Noting that horizontal drilling was first used in Colorado, the Governor called on the automobile industry to produce more CNG cars and trucks. In exchange, the state’s highest-ranking politician promised that Colorado would buy the vehicles for its fleets. Hickenlooper is one of the nation’s biggest cheerleaders for compressed natural gas, one of the most promising of all alternative fuels both because of its abundance and low pollutant levels.
He went on to outline the promises already made by eight states which agree to purchase CNG cars and trucks if any major automaker will ramp up production. Saying that there is absolutely no need for any type of government subsidy, Hickenlooper pointed out that his state has pioneered the safe removal of natural gas, assuring environmentalists that drilling for the wonder fuel, at least in his state, will follow a strict set of green guidelines. Lately, horizontal drilling for natural gas, also known as fracking, has come under fire by some groups who claim that the process pollutes groundwater and causes permanent damage to the ecosystem
In the last decade, hundreds of municipal and corporate fleets have purchased CNG vehicles, but infrastructure for fueling remain weak nationally, especially for private consumers and non-commercial drivers. As electric and hybrid cars have started to build a following, advocates like Hickenlooper hope to get a share of the limelight for natural gas cars and trucks.
If natural gas wells are properly drilled, according to the Governor, there is no chance of ground water contamination. Ever since CNG has been used as a motor fuel, concerns have been raised about the safe extraction of the substance. Now it appears that technological advances might be able to address those concerns.?
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MPA.
Article source: http://www.cngnow.com/News/Post.aspx?ID=575