The new impact fee law, Act 13, provides $20 million in grants for purchasing natural gas-fueled vehicles, or converting cars and trucks so they run on compressed natural gas, or CNG.

DEP has set up a website with information about the grant program. The portal says the agency will hold forums on natural gas-fueled vehicles over the coming months. Governor Corbett has said that Pennsylvania will do everything it can to expand the market for natural gas consumption. Putting more CNG-powered cars on the roads is part of that plan. Corbett told a Philadelphia radio station last month that he wants to, “start con­vert­ing the fleets of cars…to nat­ural gas vehi­cles. …So that [drillers] have a mar­ket so they can go to Detroit to get Detroit to start build­ing the vehicles.”

Natural gas burns cleaner than conventional gasoline or diesel due to its lower carbon content. When used as a vehicle fuel, it can offer life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions benefits over conventional fuels, depending on vehicle type, drive cycle, and engine calibration. In addition, using natural gas may reduce some types of tailpipe emissions.