Moved thread: Big Oil and CNG

[Steve]

I have always been intrigued by the comment that "big oil" is responsible for the demise of every alternative fuel available. What I wouldn't mind seeing is the data to back this up.

For example, a couple of years ago, it was determined that a lot of senior executives at high tech companies were back dating stock options. This was determined because someone (I think that it was a college professor) went through and gathered the public knowledge available in regards to when the senior executives exercised their stock options. Because the companies are publicly traded, information about the grant price of the stock option and the sell price of the stock option is available. The person found that the stock option's grant price was the lowest for a given period when it was finally exercised. There are a lot of laws regarding when executives can sell stock. So, by following the "bread crumbs", this person determined that statistically these executives could not have consistently received stock options for the period's low price every single time. It was therefore determined that the executives back dated their stock options.

If a similar analysis can be done with "big oil" crushing alternative fuels, then I think that the argument can be made more soundly. So far I am skeptical that "big oil" is doing this dirty work and that alternative fuels have a rough go at it do to market conditions and short sighted politicians.

[CNG MOTORS]

Re: New rules for Utah safety inspections in Jan. {EPA/CARB mandatory, NFPA-52 items}

Back to the original post "Big Oil" this is the beauty of our polictical system direct proof may not be obtainable, but what is are contributions from big oil companies to polititians. Follow the polititians that appear to be fighting alternative fuels and see where they are getting their contributions from. 1+1 always equals two. What else do you think big oil is lobbying "their" polititians for. Government decisions surrounding alternative fuels that make you scratch your head and say what the heck were they thinking. I would bet you those are the influenced decisions from big oil. I would say I would probably do the same.

For example say I contributed to several key poilititians that had influence in energy. And I owned a large oil company both of gasoline and CNG. I know by allowing both to the market at the same time will offset supply and demand and hense drive prices down. Instead I would want to artificially inflate oil by reducing energy supply to the market and later (decades from now) introduce CNG as gasoline supplies deminish seeking the same supply/demand value for the product. It's just smart business. We saw the same thing happen recently with CNG vehicles. Demand went through the roof because gasoline was at $4/gallon and supply remain constent if not deminishing because no new cars were produced other than Hondas. Now that gas is cheap again/economy/some bad UT decisions/ ect.... demand is back down. Cavalier's pre surge sold for $6500, during the height of it cavaliers were selling for $15,000 now post $2/gallon $4500.

But I wouldn't say it's corruption, it's just how the system works. Had I had millions I would lobby the other way. Although I don't like CE or Pickens business model he is the man that has the influience and millions and we should stand behind him.

[Steve]

Re: New rules for Utah safety inspections in Jan. {EPA/CARB mandatory, NFPA-52 items}

Murphy,

Good reply. Anyone have a list of contributors and which politicians benefited from big oil contributions and then how they voted in regards to alternative fuel? We can then start calling them on the carpet.