Filling up with natural gas: Vehicles running on clean fuel should not run in the shade of electric
By Matthew Godlewski, The Washington Times.
During last year’s presidential campaign, Donald Trump showed his commitment to America’s energy future and a belief in its innovative spirit.
Appointing Scott Pruitt and Rick Perry to top energy-related posts in his Cabinet underscores his commitment to meeting that pledge, because these experts already know that clean-burning natural gas is a true transportation innovation. The natural gas vehicle industry is bullish on these choices, and strongly encourages the Senate to confirm them soon.
Mr. Pruitt, as attorney general of Oklahoma, saw firsthand how quickly natural gas became so popular that it outpaced other forms of energy. He’ll be a great administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Under Gov. Perry’s leadership, Texas drove development of the wind, solar and natural gas industries. He signed legislation creating the “Texas Triangle,” which established a natural gas vehicle clean transportation corridor between the major population centers in the state. Air quality has improved and today this corridor is the backbone of a strong natural gas vehicle industry. Mr. Perry knows how to streamline decision-making and is an excellent choice as energy secretary.
One can witness this same kind of forward thinking and innovation at the Cummins Engine Plant in Rocky Mount, N.C. It’s where the revolutionary Cummins Westport “Near Zero” natural gas engine is built, which reduces harmful nitrogen oxide emissions by 90 percent from the current EPA standard. No other transportation fuel delivers such performance.
And millions more Americans will benefit as cities across the United States keep turning to clean-burning natural gas for public transportation. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, for example, is using heavy-duty, American-made, natural gas engines to power buses that are among the cleanest in the world.