Obama to grant CA it's EPA waiver, finally.

[cnghal]

Looks like our new president is fast at work, according to this NY Times article, Monday President Obama will sign a directive to grant CA and 13 other states the EPA waiver to set their own emissions and fuel economy standards.
It only took three years and an administration change.
Could this be our deliverance or demise? I'm betting on the former.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/us...mc=rss&src=igw

And a CA waiver history graphic.
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/20...hic.ready.html

[jblue]

Re: Obama to grant CA it's EPA waiver, finally.

Sweet, about time.

Too bad Senator (global-warming-is-all-in-your-head) Inhofe was reelected. Perhaps he will rethink his position now ...

naaaa.

[larrycng]

Re: Obama to grant CA it's EPA waiver, finally.

Yes, Obama's EPA stand might help CNG. Looking at the past, Calif. had separate vehicle emissions standards since 1966, just read the vehicle emission labels.

The scary thing is that Calif. has always had more stringent standards than the rest of the country (a possible help for CNG). If the vehicle manufacturers will produce the CNG vehicles great. The problem is the certification issue and more specifically conversion. If the certification process for conversions is streamlined and simplified it is good, but if the agencies retain current standards or make them more stringent, we are in big trouble. I don't trust Calif, lived there too long, I am a Washington resident.

Be careful what you wish for - you might get it. I sincerely hope the certification process is simplified, it would be in the best interest of all.

Larrycng

[cngacrossusa]

Re: Obama to grant CA it's EPA waiver, finally.

Wow, that's called Getting With The Program!! The dust had barely settled from the old Air Force One "shipping" ole Bush Jr back to TX!!

Now, let's give Obama Administration the ROADMAP to what CNG needs to SUCCEED in the USA . . . . and quick:

1) Simplified & cheaper EPA conversion standards based on SAFETY STANDARDS recognized worldwide for cng . . . ie NO annual EPA payments for single engine per type of car, instead lifetime certs for engine family for that respective converter who has proven to install safe conversions and has proper bonding/insurance. Provide Federal monetary subsidies directly to conversion shops, in exchange for maximum price on conversions of say $4,000 to the end consumer.
2) Mandatory opening to public within 9 months, all private cng refueling sites that are getting any kind of Federal subsidy (ie initial grant, excise tax credit, etc.)- - this would include airports, UPS fleets, etc.
3) Mandatory addition of public cng refueling sites in ALL states to ensure that public cng refueling site exists every 150 miles or less, AND that all major metro cities of 500,000 have at least 3 public cng refueling sites.
4) Mandatory addition of public cng refueling at gas stations or truck stops with 10 or more pumps - - thus, must have at least one public cng in some fashion (ie could be mobile trailer with cng - - ie 4 tanks of 46 gge like Lincoln Composites is manufacturing). Must be installed within 1 yr if over 14 pumps, or within 18 mths if 10 or more pumps.
5) Maximum price for public cng of say 10 percent over the local cost of commodity natural gas and compression charges - - or Obama could go whole hog and provide nationwide commodity NG at fixed price (like a nationwide postage stamp) once pipeline is done from Alaska to USA, so that fixed maximum price of cng could be established . . . like $1.25 per gge.
6) Mandatory minimum percent cng vehicles in fleets of over 50 cars to start on graduated scale of 10 percent 1st yr, 15 percent 2nd yr, 20 percent 3rd yr and 25 percent by 4th yr. Also, cng refueling must be open to public.
7) All public cng refueling sites must accept minimum VISA/MC/Discover/Voyager/Fuelman credit card types with no need for special in-house card.
8) Monopoly natural gas providers must have their own fleet of vehicles be 50 percent cng within 2 years (25 percent 1st yr and 50 percent 2nd yr) AND must have public cng refueling in any towns or cities they service that are over population 25,000
9) Mandatory sale of OEM cng (both bi-fuel . . . cng/petrol/E85) and dedicated vehicle line-ups from all automakers selling over 200,000 vehicles in USA ; MUST offer both types in each major category of vehicles sold (ie 4 cyl, 6 cyl, & 8 cyl ; cars, trucks, vans, etc.) - - WITHIN 6 mths for cng vehicles already sold elsewhere in the world, or within 1 year if no current cng vehicles offered
10) Pursue funding of OEM cng vehicle that has onboard cng compressor (ie likely larger vehicles like pickups/SUV's) so that consumer would only have to connect to low pressure gas line at home and 110 volt electrical
11) Mandatory addition of competitors to Fuelmaker in cng home refueling appliance market (ie GasFill from England & Gas At Home from Netherlands) and Federal immediate subsidy of $4,000 for new or $1,500 for used paid directly to HRA vendor ONLY if price to end consumer is less than $1,500 AND installation is INCLUDED in price - - no more boondoggling by EPA to limit competitors or crazy local ordinances jacking up price of installation
12) Mandatory bio-methane capture at wastewater treatment plants (ie sewage) for all cities over 100,000 population and used for both municipal and public cng refueling
13) Mandatory bio-methane capture at landfills for all cities over 100,000 population and used for both municipal and public cng refueling
14) Mandatory bio-methane capture at stockyards of over 5,000 cattle, sheep, horses, etc. and converted for private and public cng refueling
15) Mandatory vehicles for taxi's be dedicated cng and all fueling centers be open to public
16) Mandatory conversion of large percentage of US Postal delivery trucks to dedicated cng and refueling centers be open to the public
17) Mandatory that city buses be dedicated cng for cities over 100,000 population and all fueling centers be open to the public
18) Mandatory that school buses be dedicated cng for urban school districts in any metro area that has combined population over 100,000
19) Mandatory that trash trucks be mix of cng/diesel for over 50 percent of fleet within 2 years and all fueling centers be open to public

That's my wish list to start . . . . feel free to add any more pertinent items before the collective wisdom of CNGChat passes it on to Obama!!!

Go CNG . . . cleanest fuel on the planet except for wind & solar!!

[tomdotstar]

Re: Obama to grant CA it's EPA waiver, finally.

There are a number of major manufacturers that have cng cars around the world. How about an EPA/DOT waiver or at least more flexible standards.

[rtry9a]

Re: Obama to grant CA it's EPA waiver, finally.

Looks like our new president is fast at work, according to this NY Times article, Monday President Obama will sign a directive to grant CA and 13 other states the EPA waiver to set their own emissions and fuel economy standards.
It only took three years and an administration change.
Could this be our deliverance or demise? I'm betting on the former.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/us...mc=rss&src=igw

And a CA waiver history graphic.
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/20...hic.ready.html

I'm not so sure this is a good idea. In effect, Obama has given the green light for States to trump Congressional laws. Is that what he really intended (I doubt he is a libertarian), or is it a backhanded way to bypass the balances of power.

California's environmentalists have already bankrupted the State and have driven a lot of industries elsewhere. Do we really want to give them more power and the keys to our entire economy?

[marty600]

Re: Obama to grant CA it's EPA waiver, finally.

I'm not so sure this is a good idea. In effect, Obama has given the green light for States to trump Congressional laws. Is that what he really intended (I doubt he is a libertarian), or is it a backhanded way to bypass the balances of power.

California's environmentalists have already bankrupted the State and have driven a lot of industries elsewhere. Do we really want to give them more power and the keys to our entire economy?

I agree with this reasoning 100%..the price of a new auto will rise at least $700, according to industry beancounters..and the rise in cost will be nationwide. Horrible idea in this economy...so much for the 'working man'.

[cngacrossusa]

Re: Obama to grant CA it's EPA waiver, finally.

Even India car companies can meet European environmental standards for normal petrol or diesel vehicles, so surely CARB standards can be met by ALL car manufacturers specifically for Bi-Fuel or Dedicated CNG vehicles!!! That way automakers would be FORCED to quickly begin selling CNG vehicles here in USA.

See my earlier list of now 19 items for Obama Wish List for CNG !!

Spending on all these areas WOULD be money well spent, AND produce many, many jobs all across the USA.

Go CNG !!

[300mileclub]

April 18, 2017 by Rich Piellisch - VNG Founder Harvey Lamm Rebuts Senator Shumer: Ignoring Natural Gas Vehicles Is a Glaring Regulatory Omission.

VNG is stepping up its efforts to gain respect and recognition for compressed natural gas vehicles, recently differing with Democratic Senator Chuck Shumer who urged the U.S. not to re-open the Obama administration s fuel-efficiency regulations. Sen. Schumer is missing the point. Congress should be reopening the rules to create more effective regulations as opposed to forcing automakers to support vehicles to meet regulations but fall short of achieving the objectives of the Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988.

The EPA report card is mediocre. The nearly 20 million or so E85 vehicles on the road each use less than 20 gallons of E85 per year and mostly rely on gasoline. High cost and limited-utility electric vehicles cater to low-mileage drivers already driving fuel-efficient gasoline vehicles. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have an electric range that essentially saves a mere 1 gallon of gas per charge. Yet, all of these offer automakers regulatory credits and consumer tax credits:

http://www.fleetsandfuels.com/fuels/...ues-expansion/