Natural gas: A viable fuel source

Natural gas: A viable fuel source

Natural gas is an untapped resource for transportation use, said the next CARtalks speaker, Kathryn Clay, vice president and director of policy strategy at the American Gas Association. We have enough domestic supply of natural gas to last more than 200 years, yet we use petroleum for 94 percent of our transportation needs. The use of natural gas has increased in other sectors, such as home heating.

The United States is the worldês number one producer of natural gas. Using more of it for transportation would help with our trade imbalance, help improve fuel economy, lower greenhouse gases at the tailpipe and help with vehicle weight restrictions. And, said Clay, an environmental objection is being addressed: There has been a downward trend in pipeline methane emissions.

Clay acknowledged in the Q&A that we need a more robust natural gas infrastructure before more natural gas vehicles can come to the U.S.