Title:
Natural Gas - Affordable, Abundant and American: Making the care for natural gas in the transportation sector
Natural Gas - Affordable, Abundant and American: Making the care for natural gas in the transportation sector
Author(s)
Kiefhaber, Shannon
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Abstract
Due to the recent Gulf oil spill, a collective conscious has begun to ponder the question:
When will we stop using oil as a base for transportation fuel, and what will replace it?
While it is unlikely that conventional, petroleum-based fuels will be completely replaced
in the next decade; it is possible that the ever increasing demand for energy in the
transportation sector could be met by a variety of fuels and technologies. The most likely
options include biodiesel, ethanol, compressed natural gas (CNG) and electrification.
One of the primary reasons for pursuing alternative fueled vehicles is to decrease
emissions of environmentally harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. As legislation like
the renewable-fuels standards and low-carbon fuel standards intensify, a niche market for
alternative fuels is beginning to emerge. The importance of reducing energy demand and
carbon intensities of fuels is going to greatly impact the type of vehicles and choices of
fuels expected to be manufactured in the future automobile industry. Natural gas, as an
alternative, is very attractive due to its low price and low carbon intensities. Per unit of
energy, natural gas contains less carbon than any other fossil fuel, and thus produces
lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per vehicle mile traveled. While there is a current
lack of infrastructure that has greatly limited natural gas use to captive public fleets,
commercial industries are beginning to invest in alternative fuel vehicles.
Making America less dependent on foreign oil is a national priority. President Obama, in
accepting his party’s nomination, established his own clear goals: “For the sake of our
economy, our security and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: in
10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.” While the
United States imports more than 60 percent of the oil it uses, 98 percent of the natural gas
used in the U.S. was produced in North America. Every gallon equivalent of natural gas
used in vehicles is one less gallon of petroleum that has to be imported. (Federal NGV
Tax Incentives, 2010)
Despite the recent growth in interest of natural gas, there is still significant obstacles
natural gas vehicles face in order to capture a major share of the market. Concerns
amount around economics-whether the equivalent gasoline or diesel vehicle is cheaper, as
well as concerns about safety and availability of refueling stations. This paper
investigates evidence around all of these concerns as well as identifies markets where
natural gas vehicles would be the most efficient.
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Date Issued
2010-12
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Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Masters Project
Applied Research Paper
Applied Research Paper