Mead Seeks Natural Gas Powered Vehicles

Gasoline prices this month have been relentless, with Wyoming’s average price for a gallon of regular at $3.73 and Jackson Hole’s average about $3.88.  Governor Matt Mead told reporters this week that it’s time Wyoming begin better utilization of the less costly resources it has at hand and make the use of natural-gas powered vehicles practical.  Mead says Wyoming has joined a coalition of 13 states in seeking a bid for such vehicles to use in state fleets. He explains that one of the reason the coalition was formed was (quoting Mead) “we’re in this chicken-or-egg situation where nobody wants to build the vehicles until you have the infrastructure and nobody wants to build the infrastructure until you have the vehicles.”  Mead says the state has an abundance of this great fuel source and if the state goes to Detroit and says it is interested in a large number of vehicles to use the fuel, it will help get the private sector to step up to moving into the technology.  Says Mead, “It saves money and  it lowers emissions.”  Mead says the results of a request-for-proposal to build such vehicles are due tomorrow.  Mead says Dodge demonstrated a dual-fuel truck at Frontier Days that had a 700-mile range on a $12 fill.  Mead says he hopes with the states asking for such vehicles, it will open a market for the public for such vehicles as well.