(335d) Natural Gas: The Bridge Fuel

Medium and heavy duty trucks and buses produce almost 18 percent of all carbon emissions from transportation. Alternative energy sources need to be used on a larger scale to reduce these emissions, as well as to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Natural gas is the future of fuel in large vehicles. This paper tackles different issues surrounding the usage of natural gas as the main fuel for natural such as public awareness, public policy, existing infrastructure, consumer choice and controversies surrounding hydraulic fracturing. Current pilot programs, in which public city buses are using natural gas as the fuel of their choice, will be analyzed to determine the best way to implement these programs in other areas of the United States as well.