Natural-gas industry groups hail new emissions standards for trucks

Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica) and the American Gas Association (AGA) recently spoke out in support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after they announced new emissions standards for trucks.

“NGVAmerica worked closely with EPA and NHTSA over the past three years to ensure that the strong benefits of natural gas vehicles were reflected in developing a final rule,” NGVAmerica President Matthew Godlewski said. “Cleaner trucks are the goal, and I am confident that natural gas will continue to play a strong role in greening America’s heavy-duty fleet under this rulemaking.”

The EPA and NHTSA’s Phase 2 standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks are projected to lead to the prevention of 1.1 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions and a corresponding $170 billion in savings on fuel costs. The agencies expect that the standards will lead to more fuel-efficient trucks through the adoption of new and advanced technologies.

“EPA and NHTSA have worked hard to weigh a variety of important concerns with the final rulemaking,” AGA President and CEO Dave McCurdy said. “It appears that they have found a balanced approach that supports continued opportunities to use more natural gas to meet our country’s transportation needs.”