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APGA Communicates to States on Appropriate Clean Fuel Efforts

By Stuart Saulters posted 01-14-2021 12:24 PM

  
On January 8, APGA signed on to a letter organized by Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica). This communication was sent to Governors from 15 states, as well as the Mayor of Washington, D.C., all of whom have developed a Multi-State Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and other toxic air emissions. While the MOU allows for employing the use of commercially available low-NOx natural gas vehicles (NGVs) to achieve emissions reductions, there is concern that these states are pursuing only vehicle electrification in efforts to protect our nation’s air quality.

The letter informed its recipients that increased use of natural gas as a transportation fuel provides immediate toxic air pollutant reductions. The cleanest commercially available heavy-duty engines in the world are powered by natural gas now and for the foreseeable future. Moreover, if renewable natural gas (RNG) is used in the future, lifecycle GHG emissions from NGVs are reduced further, producing the most carbon-negative Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) option, even compared to electricity and hydrogen. As well, new NGV technologies continue to be developed that will further decrease vehicle emissions. These Governors and the Mayor should aim to achieve net zero lifecycle emissions goals, not just zero emissions from the tailpipe. To see a copy of the letter, click here.

For questions on this article, please contact Stuart Saulters of APGA staff by phone at 202-544-1334 or by email at ssaulters@apga.org.

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