A study of alternative fuel options for on-road transportation in the United States has concluded that natural gas is a promising fuel from both an economic and technology perspective. The National Petroleum Council’s Report “Advancing Technology for America’s Transportation Future” is the result of two years of work examining the potential for a variety of fuels and technologies for both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles.
“There are competing priorities in the pursuit of new fuel and vehicle technologies that are reliable, affordable and environmentally advanced, and natural gas is well-positioned within the study,” said Karen Hamberg, vice president of sustainable energy futures at Westport. “The potential for a long-term and low-cost domestic supply of natural gas driven by economically recoverable, unconventional resources provides the economic driver for the increased use of natural gas for transportation.”
More than 300 participants representing industry, government, academia and nongovernmental organizations contributed their knowledge and time to the analysis, economic modeling and development of findings. In addition to natural gas, the study analyzed four other fuel pathways, including hydrocarbon liquids, biofuels, electricity and hydrogen, as well as the fuel-vehicle systems that may develop over the next several decades.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu requested the council to examine opportunities to accelerate alternative fuel prospects for passenger and freight transport through 2050. Chu also asked the council to consider economically competitive ways to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. transportation sector.
“The study identified few technological barriers to the deployment of natural gas-fueled vehicles,” said Gallagher. “While infrastructure hurdles were identified as a barrier to the adoption of natural gas fueled vehicles, the study identifies solutions such as the enhancement of current infrastructure, the creation of natural gas corridors and vehicles that can run on more than one fuel.”
To read the “Advancing Technology for America’s Transportation Future” report, go to www.npc.org/FTF-report-080112/FTF_Report_Summary-080112.pdf.
