Policy Analysis | April 2013
What are the natural gas vehicle consumption rates in the SLC member states?
In November of 2011, Governor Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado and governors from several member states of the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding to generate interest and action in the U.S. automobile industry for the development of functional and affordable natural gas vehicles (NGVs) to meet public demand. The NASPO states recognized the benefits and unique attributes of clean-burning natural gas and understood the opportunity NGVs present to save taxpayer dollars by forging an energy future that utilizes domestic energy resources to meet transportation needs. As of April of 2012, Wyoming, Mississippi, Utah, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, West Virginia, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana have signed on to support the multi-state joint Request for Information and Request for Proposals solicitation.
Per SLC research performed in response to an information request, Virginia is the only SLC member state that currently offers tax credits specifically to manufacturers of natural gas vehicles, implemented by the Alternative Fuel Job Creation Tax Credit. The utilization of natural gas vehicles in the SLC peaked in 2004, with NGVs consuming 6.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Consumption by NGVs dropped to 3.7 billion cubic feet in the following year and, in the SLC, has experienced slow growth from that bottom. The following table provides further details on NGV usage in the SLC member states.
Consumption by Natural Gas Vehicles in SLC Member States, 2000-12 (in million cubic feet)
(click on headers to sort by column)
| State/Region | 2000 | 2002 | Change | 2004 | Change | 2006 | Change | 2008 | Change | 2010 | Change | 2012 | Change | Average Annual Rate of Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 62 | 78 | 25.8% | 107 | 37.2% | 111 | 3.7% | 84 | -24.3% | 105 | 25.0% | 107 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Arkansas | 99 | 126 | 27.3% | 173 | 37.3% | 10 | -94.2% | 12 | 20.0% | 16 | 33.3% | 16 | 0.0% | -14.1% |
| Florida | 328 | 488 | 48.8% | 670 | 37.3% | 232 | -65.4% | 137 | -40.9% | 60 | -56.2% | 110 | 83.3% | -8.7% |
| Georgia | 417 | 530 | 27.1% | 727 | 37.2% | 974 | 34.0% | 1,074 | 10.3% | 915 | -14.8% | 1,194 | 30.5% | 9.2% |
| Kentucky | 63 | 80 | 27.0% | 110 | 37.5% | 11 | -90.0% | 7 | -36.4% | 3 | -57.1% | 4 | 33.3% | -20.5% |
| Louisiana | 78 | 97 | 24.4% | 133 | 37.1% | 29 | -78.2% | 18 | -37.9% | 11 | -38.9% | 13 | 18.2% | -13.9% |
| Mississippi | 14 | 19 | 35.7% | 26 | 36.8% | 3 | -88.5% | 3 | 0.0% | 3 | 0.0% | 7 | 133.3% | -5.6% |
| Missouri | 90 | 115 | 27.8% | 158 | 37.4% | 68 | -57.0% | 63 | -7.4% | 7 | -88.9% | 6 | -14.3% | -20.2% |
| North Carolina | 43 | 54 | 25.6% | 74 | 37.0% | 28 | -62.2% | 31 | 10.7% | 32 | 3.2% | 34 | 6.3% | -1.9% |
| Oklahoma | 622 | 786 | 26.4% | 1,078 | 37.2% | 177 | -83.6% | 229 | 29.4% | 243 | 6.1% | 294 | 21.0% | -6.1% |
| South Carolina | 16 | 20 | 25.0% | 27 | 35.0% | 8 | -70.4% | 11 | 37.5% | 7 | -36.4% | 11 | 57.1% | -3.1% |
| Tennessee | 62 | 78 | 25.8% | 107 | 37.2% | 17 | -84.1% | 14 | -17.6% | 14 | 0.0% | 18 | 28.6% | -9.8% |
| Texas | 960 | 1,811 | 88.6% | 2,485 | 37.2% | 1,866 | -24.9% | 1,966 | 5.4% | 2,334 | 18.7% | 2,655 | 13.8% | 8.8% |
| Virginia | 212 | 268 | 26.4% | 368 | 37.3% | 168 | -54.3% | 141 | -16.1% | 142 | 0.7% | 167 | 17.6% | -2.0% |
| West Virginia | 174 | 220 | 26.4% | 302 | 37.3% | 8 | -97.4% | 2 | -75.0% | N/A | N/A | 1 | N/A | -34.9% |
| SLC Region | 3,240 | 4,770 | 47.2% | 6,545 | 37.2% | 3,710 | -43.3% | 3,792 | 2.2% | 3,892 | 2.6% | 4,637 | 19.1% | 3.0% |
| U.S. | 12,752 | 14,950 | 17.2% | 20,514 | 37.2% | 23,739 | 15.7% | 25,982 | 9.4% | 28,664 | 10.3% | 32,940 | 14.9% | 8.2% |