Transportation

FERC staff on Friday released a favorable environmental assessment (EA) of Tennessee Gas Pipeline LLC’s (TGP) proposed Broad Run Expansion project, which would move Marcellus Shale natural gas from West Virginia to delivery points along the Gulf Coast.

Two strong supporters in the U.S. Senate for natural gas use as a transportation fuel and major gas industry executives have joined forces to promote a legislative proposal giving liquefied natural gas (LNG) parity with other fuels, such as diesel, when used in marine transportation on inland U.S. waterways.

The five-year surface transportation bill (FAST Act) has been passed by both houses of Congress and carries some important provisions for advancing the use of natural gas vehicles (NGV), according to the Washington, DC-based NGVAmerica trade group, which lobbied hard for the provisions.

FERC has rejected a proposal by Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC to allow some of its firm transportation customers to convert some or all of their service to no-notice firm service, but it left the door open for the company to submit a revised filing on the matter.

While coalition-backed research on natural gas vehicle (NGV) methane emissions is ongoing at the University of West Virginia (see Daily GPI, Sept. 14), a Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) study of potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from NGVs has some troubling findings.

The Obama administration’s proposed new ozone standard could expand opportunities for the use of natural gas vehicles (NGV), according to both industry and government sources.

While national and global market penetration is still modest, advocates for natural gas vehicles (NGV) could be heard at recent energy conferences in Chicago and Denver adding more fuel to the fire of enthusiasm among major fleet operators for natural gas as a transportation alternative.

A recent survey of fleet operators concludes that they generally support higher national fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, according to a report commissioned by an alternative fuel vehicle advocacy group.

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee voted 23-3 in support of legislation extending tax credits for the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel and investment in natural gas vehicle (NGV) infrastructure.