Apr 18, 2013 3 min read

State Sen. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, is again urging the state Department of General Services to study whether it should convert more state vehicles to run on natural gas.

He recently reintroduced a resolution in support of a study and has asked colleagues to support it.

“Pennsylvania is at the forefront of the natural gas industry and our resource supply puts us in a position to reap great benefits from using this asset wisely,” he said. “One of the ways in which we can do this is by setting an example for the commonwealth by using natural gas in our state fleet.”

Many gasoline-powered vehicles can be cost-effectively converted to run on natural gas, Solobay said. While many private companies have converted truck fleets to take advantage of historically low natural gas prices, consumer conversions have been hampered by a lack of refueling infrastructure.

“If we could convert the state fleet that would kick-start the development of refueling stations in all corners of the state, and it could have a snowball effect,” he said. “More refueling stations could lead to more converted cars and that would mean less dependence on foreign oil.”

With the exploration of gas deposits in the Marcellus Shale, Pennsylvania has become a leader in natural gas production and the production could spin off other economic benefits.

“If we want to keep the jobs and the economic benefit of natural gas drilling, we have to help create new markets,” Solobay said. “Building momentum toward widespread use of this cheaper, cleaner fuel will pay dividends to future generations.”

In Senate Resolution No. 38, Solobay asked the General Services Department to conduct a study to determine the associated costs and feasibility of converting and retrofitting state-owned vehicles with compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas engines for the purpose of modernizing the state fleet.

The resolution notes a variety of reasons for considering the use of natural gas for the state fleet, noting that it is domestically produced, reducing dependence on foreign oil; and is better for the environment .

He noted that the Environmental Protection Agency has stated that light-duty natural gas vehicles can reduce exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide by 90 to 97 percent; carbon dioxide by 25 percent and nitrogen oxides by 35 to 60 percent when compared with gasoline-powered vehicles.

His resolution also notes that natural gas is also less expensive for the consumer and requires less total vehicle maintenance over time and conversions of the state fleet could spur additional demand for natural gas produced within the state.