Post by chassroc on May 25, 2012 7:52:22 GMT -5
It'll be interesting to see if the trend continues but I've been reading about truck fleets for large companies switching over to natural gas. If you can get past the logistics it seems like a no brainer. Diesal is more expensive than Gasoline but natural gas is at a relatively low price in comparison.
Big companies like UPS and Ryder are looking into it and have started the purchasing that can spur the industry. The quote I saw said it cost $30,000 more for a NG truck but Waste Management says they will recover $27,000/year in fuel costs at today's prices.
The logistics are, of course, scarcity of refilling stations for NG, scariness of handling, transporting, and transferring NG, and NIMBY..who wants one of those bulky NG tanks next door or even in their neighborhood. After 9/11, Boston Harbor was disrupted every time an LNG tanker came into port to unload. If I remember correctly the fear was if a terrorist managed to explode a tanker, everyone in Boston (very bad for us worker bees) would be toast. No matter though, if it is cheap enough or enough money to be made, industry will win these battles.
When I lived in new Jersey, it seemed like everyone had Natural Gas for heating and cooking. In Massachusetts, it is not so wide spread and the Pipeline companies have no interest in expanding here. Yes, I've pleaded with them several times. The closest we come is Propane, which has to be delivered to your house's backyard tank and costs much more that heating oil and about 2x the Natural Gas prices I see on the open market. I wonder if gas companies might start changing their minds about hooking up private houses again?
charlie
Big companies like UPS and Ryder are looking into it and have started the purchasing that can spur the industry. The quote I saw said it cost $30,000 more for a NG truck but Waste Management says they will recover $27,000/year in fuel costs at today's prices.
The logistics are, of course, scarcity of refilling stations for NG, scariness of handling, transporting, and transferring NG, and NIMBY..who wants one of those bulky NG tanks next door or even in their neighborhood. After 9/11, Boston Harbor was disrupted every time an LNG tanker came into port to unload. If I remember correctly the fear was if a terrorist managed to explode a tanker, everyone in Boston (very bad for us worker bees) would be toast. No matter though, if it is cheap enough or enough money to be made, industry will win these battles.
When I lived in new Jersey, it seemed like everyone had Natural Gas for heating and cooking. In Massachusetts, it is not so wide spread and the Pipeline companies have no interest in expanding here. Yes, I've pleaded with them several times. The closest we come is Propane, which has to be delivered to your house's backyard tank and costs much more that heating oil and about 2x the Natural Gas prices I see on the open market. I wonder if gas companies might start changing their minds about hooking up private houses again?
charlie