Benefits of Natural Gas Vehicles Touted at Conference in Charleston
West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association, both enthusiastic advocates for utilizing natural gas produced from the Appalachian basin to fuel natural gas vehicles (NGVs), sponsored the 2013 Appalachian Basin NGV Expo and Conference this past week in Charleston, West Virginia. The conference agenda included discussions on the economic and environmental benefits of converting to NGVs, converting existing fleet vehicles into NGVs, and how to expand the NGV market. The conference featured speakers from Appalachian Basin natural gas producers, including Chesapeake Energy and CONSOL Energy, and fleet vehicle operators who are transitioning their gasoline and diesel vehicles to compressed natural gas, including Waste Management, which has more than 1,000 natural gas-powered trucks, and school bus manufacturer Blue Bird Body Company. The public had the opportunity to browse an exhibit hall that displayed various NGVs, including the world’s first natural gas-powered chopper.