UP TO 80 MILES PER GALLON WITH CNG SEE LA TIMES LINK

ENERGY EFFICIENT ENGINES THAT CAN BE CONVERTED TO CNG.
Current mood: creative
Category: News and Politics

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pickens25-2008sep25,0,763405.story

ALL EFFORTS TO MAKE THE DETROIT AUTO INDUSTRY BECOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS HAS BEEN KILLED BY JOHN DINGALLS, (D-MI).

CURRENTLY, CNG CONVERTER SYSTEMS FOR PRIVATE AUTOS ARE ALREADY ON THE MARKET TO CONVERT PRIVATE AUTOS TO CNG FOR A NOMINAL COST. THE PROBLEM IS CURRENTLY ONLY THE HONDA CIVIC AND THE FORD CROWN VICTORIA HAVE ENGINES THAT CAN BE CONVERTED. (THE FORD CROWN VICTORIA BECAUSE IT IS A FLEET MODEL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT).

REPORTEDLY, LOUISIANA HAS ENOUGH NATURAL GAS UNDER GROUND TO SUPPLY THE USA FOR THE NEXT 99 YEARS.

ALSO, RECENTLY A LIQUIDFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG) TERMINAL WAS BUILT BY SEMPRA ENERGY IN BAJA, CALIFORNIA, MEXICO THAT WILL RECEIVE LNG FROM THE MASSIVE NATURAL GAS FIELDS IN INDONESIA.

PARENTHETICALLY, THE FORMER GOVERNOR, EDMOND G. (PAT) BROWN, SR (DECEASED) FAMILY HAS HUGE HOLDINGS IN INDONESIAN LNG. THE BROWN FAMILY TRIED TO GET A LNG TERMINAL BUILT ON THE CALIFORNIA COAST IN THE 1970s, BUT THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION DENIED THE COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.

DRILLING FOR OIL ON THE USA COASTLINE TO MAKE THE USA ENERGY INDEPENDENT HAS HOLES IN IT (NO PUN INTENDED), BECAUSE THE "CALIFORNIA CRUDE" OIL IS TOO HEAVY TO BE REFINED. THE EXISTING ATLANTIC AND GULF COAST LEASE SALES TO THE OIL COMPANIES HAVE GONE FOR NAUGHT, BECAUSE THE OIL COMPANIES HAVE DONE EXPLORATORY DRILLING IN 20% OF THE LEASE SALES ONLY.

CURRENTLY, BOONE PICKENS IS CIRCULATING A LETTER REGARDING THE DEMAND FOR THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION TO DEVELOP AN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE PLAN, BUT WITH NO SPECIFICS.

THEREFORE, I RECOMMEND THAT CALIFORNIA ELECTED OFFICIALS SPONSOR/SUPPORT MORE REALISTIC AND PRACTICAL LEGISLATION THAT WOULD MANDATE THAT THE DETROIT AUTO MAKERS BUILD ENGINES THAT CAN BE CONVERTED TO CNG.

cc: Senators Boxer & Feinstein

Robert E. Fisher, MSW
Former City of Los Angeles Legislative Analyst/Rep
To The California Coastal Commission 1974-79
rbrtfis@aol.com