We are in an age of natural gas that has never been witnessed before.As most articles nowadays try to do, this Patriot-News op-ed begins by putting the production of Pennsylvania into perspective:
Production topped 895 billion cubic feet of natural gas for the first six months of 2012, pushing the total production over 2.5 trillion cubic feet since 2008.How big is this? Pennsylvania has gone from importing 75 percent of its natural gas just five years ago to being a net exporter today.
This is in itself is huge. But the piece tackles one growing conversation around the country in its very title:
Not maybe. Not “well, we’ll see how this whole shale gas thing turns out.” Now.The conversations around natural gas vehicles are becoming more plentiful and the automotive industry is already moving to make sure they keep up with the growing demand.Chrysler, Honda, Ford and GM are all manufacturing vehicles with an eye towards natural gas. And the infrastructure to support these vehicles is starting to come together. As conversations continue between residents, elected officials, commissions and business leaders, this movement will only continue to gain steam.Across the Commonwealth these conversations are continually popping up; as the Patriot-News article highlighted, the Natural Gas Utilization Conference was held recently in State College and the 2012 Tri-County Oil & Gas Expo was held in November at Waynesburg University.It’s important to acknowledge that many of these events are open to the public. For example, the upcoming Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission meeting will be held December 10 and one of the topics covered will be natural gas vehicles.Keep your eyes and ears open, the talk surrounding natural gas use in vehicles is only going to increase from now on.
