Natural gas industry representatives, government leaders and members of the private sector will convene Thursday, May 23, for a summit at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Lexington for “Natural Gas in the Bluegrass: Moving the Needle in Kentucky.”
Hosted by Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition, Kentucky Gas Association and the Kentucky Oil and Gas Association, this conference is unique in that after the morning session consisting of presentations and panels on natural gas in Kentucky, specifically Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for vehicular use, the afternoon session will be a participant driven planning session on specific steps needed to take advantage of one of our state’s energy resource, natural gas.
Speakers include representatives from Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet, natural gas companies, cities and companies like UPS that are currently using CNG and fleet manufacturers.
“Natural gas as a transportation fuel is a promising opportunity for Kentucky,” said Secretary Len Peters, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and a keynote speaker. “Meetings such as this are important in bringing together businesses, government, and citizens to explore and discover how best to capture this opportunity.”
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates there are approximately 112,000 vehicles in the country powered by natural gas. A recent comparison of costs found that the natural gas equivalent of a gallon of gasoline cost $1.80 with greenhouse gas emissions significantly lower.
Conference organizers point to several examples of the interest and momentum for CNG in the Commonwealth. Kentucky recently joined 16 states in a coordinated effort to encourage automobile manufacturers to develop natural gas vehicles that will meet public demand while collectively recognizing the economic value of natural gas as a clean burning transportation energy source. Additionally, the 2013 Kentucky legislature passed House Bill 212 that qualifies compressed natural gas stations to receive existing energy incentives. House Bill 212’s primary sponsor, state Rep. Keith Hall, will deliver the Luncheon Address at Thursday’s conference.
Add Comment