Kanawha Co., Charleston officials support CNG vehicles
August 7, 2012 ·
The Kanawha County Commission and Charleston Area Alliance are applauding the formation of a new statewide task force that is evaluating the feasibility of converting the state’s motor vehicle fleet to natural gas.
The Commission and the Alliance have been
working together since January on a similar initiative called “Kanawha
Converts,” to evaluate and encourage development of an infrastructure that
would support the use of natural gas to fuel both public and private vehicle
fleets.
In July, Gov. Tomblin appointed a new Natural Gas Vehicle Task
Force, which includes several members of the Kanawha Converts consortium.
Last week, the Governor also announced that Charleston will host the
Appalachian Basin Natural Gas Vehicle Expo and Conference in May 2013. The
expo will be attended by natural gas industry leaders, representatives from the
auto industry and a dozen other governors, to promote natural gas as a motor
vehicle fuel.
Since its creation in January, the Kanawha Converts Consortium has
conducted a cost analysis of converting city and county vehicles to natural
gas. It’s also determining demand for a
CNG fueling station in Charleston.
Kanawha County officials have
purchased a bi-fuel 2013 Chevy Tahoe with a CNG conversion kit. It’s expected to arrive in early fall.