DEPA thinks gas vehicles bill is a bad idea

A bill to promote natural gas vehicles is one of the most frequently mentioned pieces of energy legislation for the 2010 congressional lame-duck session. It’s also a bad idea, the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance said on Nov. 11.

“We are all for CNG conversion. It’s a good technology and has been around for 20 years,” said Mike Cantrell, president of the Oklahoma City alliance of producers, royalty owners, oilfield service companies, and national and state independent oil and gas associations. “Where we draw the line is on the proposed method of payment.”

He said that S. 3815, as proposed, would raise the tax on each barrel of domestic and imported oil from 8¢ to 21¢ in order to fund the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.

“Didn’t Americans just speak in the elections last week? We need to allow the marketplace to decide the next step,” Cantrell said. “This is absolutely not a decision that should be mandated by ‘big government’.”