By
Greentech Lead Team: NGVAmerica, a trade association that
represents the U.S. natural gas vehicle industry, has welcomed President
Obama’s call for using more natural gas in the transportation sector.
The President made this call at a
United Parcel Service (UPS) facility in Las Vegas when he discussed his clean
energy blueprint, first announced during the State of the Union address.
“We commend the President for
recognizing the very real and immediate benefit of using domestic natural gas
to refuel America’s trucks and cars. Accelerating the use of natural gas
vehicles will help this country become more energy independent, lower its
transportation costs, and provide a much needed boost to the economy because of
the abundant domestic supply that exists right here in the U.S.,” said Rich
Kolodziej, president of NGVAmerica.
President Obama has called for the
adoption of new tax incentives to help companies buy more clean natural gas
trucks.
The President said his
administration will continue to work with the private sector to ensure the
vehicles have places to refuel, developing five natural gas corridors along the
nation’s highways.
The President will ask Energy
Secretary Steven Chu to launch a new competition to encourage the country’s
scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to discover new breakthroughs for
natural gas vehicles.
The President’s remarks should be
welcome news to those businesses and groups who have supported adoption of the
NAT GAS Act (HR 1380 and S.1863), legislation introduced in both Houses of
Congress and that would provide incentives for natural gas in vehicles.