Pike: 17 million natural gas vehicles by 2015

A Honda natural gas Civic

A new report by Pike Research claims that more than 17 million natural gas vehicles will be on the roads of the world by 2015.

Will the US get in the natural gas vehicle game? Or is the battery the only way forward for US policy?

More important, since natural gas vehicles can also be hybrid vehicles, or even plug-in hybrid vehicles, why not take natural gas more seriously since it is cleaner than petroleum and it can come from domestic sources?

Transporation: Do natural gas prices make sense?

A rough look at pricing

Today, buying hybrid cars only makes sense if you think long term, and not even then in some cases. Inevitably, achieving even 10 percent hybrid market share will require far better cost-effectiveness.

So, what about natural gas vehicles? Finish: Transporation: Do natural gas prices make sense?

Stop Trading: Cramer, again, on natural gas

Cramer makes natural gas a cause

CNBC's Stop Trading with Jim Cramer is on as I type this and he just stated that a big shift is about to happen in natural gas, along the lines of the what the Pickens plan has been advocating in terms of natural gas - strictly for large vehicles and fleets.

Based on his past natural gas rants, I assume he's referring to legislation on this subject that is currently working through Congress.

However, Cramer finished the show jokingly stating that he wasn't going to stop his bullishness on natural gas until every car in America was running on it. So, maybe he sees more potential than just that angle.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cramer addresses this on his show in a few hours. It's become a regular part of his show.

Gotta be some good green investment ideas in those suggestions, at least greener than most investments.

Will the Japanese dominate natural gas?

Another sign of Toyota's forward-thinking?

I've been casually following the natural gas story since Boone Pickens made this issue his cause. At first, I was extremely skeptical and critical of the idea. Sure there might be a few hundred years worth of natural gas in America, but mining natural gas out of shale and creating an infrastructure would certainly outweigh any benefits I figured.

Finish: Will the Japanese dominate natural gas

Natural gas gets a boost in Congress

But is natural gas green?

The House of Representatives is set to pass $150 million research program to develop natural gas vehicles, including natural gas hybrids, and a natural gas re-fueling infrastructure.

Natural gas is certainly a cleaner burning fuel than either gasoline or diesel, and there is a lot of natural gas available in the US. Hence, natural gas offers foreign oil dependency fighting potential.

So, there is a lot of upside to natural gas, but natural gas is still just an interim technology.

Inevitably, it seems the government has to set some goals for ending foreign oil dependency, much the same way the government is trying to set goals for reducing CO2 emissions.

Isn't it time to put together a plan that includes not just a time frame for ending foreign oil dependency, but that has solid benchmarks along the way?

AT&T goes natural gas

Toyota's natural gas hybrid

AT&T will buy 15,000 new vehicles over the next 10 years to replace its current fleet with more efficient vehicles. About 8,000 of the vehicles will be natural gas. The rest will be various hybrid vehicles, including plug-ins. Most will come from Ford (more).

Pickens Plan dead - Jim Cramer

Better to keep it a concept

Jim Cramer called out Boone Pickens today on his Mad Money show stating Pickens has "some explaining to do" for his inability to make natural gas a Presidential issue. Hence, according to Cramer, the Pickens plans is dead.

In the past, Cramer had stated that he was onboard the Pickens plan.

NaturalDrive: Retrofitting conventional cars into natural gas vehicles.

The Honda Civic CNG vehicle at the LA Auto Show

NaturalDrive has received EPA certification for its CNG retrofit of the 2008 Chevy Impala.

According to GreenCarCongress, "NaturalDrive’s retrofit package includes a compressed natural gas sequential digital fuel injection system and 10.4 gasoline gallon equivalent storage in Type 3 composite fuel cylinders. An additional optional cylinder provides a total of 13.0 gge storage, for a maximum highway range of more than 375 miles @ 3,600 psi. The 3.5L engine delivers 212 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque."

Other retrofits are on the way.

Natural gas is much cleaner than oil and there is enough natural gas to replace foreign oil for many decades. Unfortunately, however, there are some questions about CNG drilling and possible water pollution.

If those issues could be resolved, such retrofits could help America quickly end foreign oil dependency while either creating new jobs, or at least sustaining current automaker jobs.

Trash trucks: The economics of Natural Gas

A natural gas trash truck in Los Angeles

Within two years, Los Angeles might convert their entire fleet of trash trucks into natural gas vehicles. Already, LA's Bureau of Sanitation is using 300 such trucks.

These trucks, built by Peterbilt with Cummins Engines, reduce CO2 emissions by 90 percent, but they cost $50,000 more per truck. Natural gas is also cheaper than diesel fuel, but it could take as long as 10 years to recover costs.

Still, isn't that investment worth less global warming emissions and less foreign oil dependency? Check out MSNBC for a video.

A natural gas-driven automaker bailout?

Honda Civic natural gas vehicle next to a home refueling station

Today, Jim Cramer opened MadMoney with his vision for how Obama should solve most of America's major problems in the first 100 days. Regarding energy independence, Cramer called for an immediate automaker bailout, with a catch. To qualify for a bailout, automakers would have to make a serious commitment to natural gas vehicles.

Finish: A natural gas-driven automaker bailout?

Natural gas Yaris shows up at SEMA

CNG / gasoline flex fuel

With the push of a button drivers of the Toyota Yaris Tailback SEMA concept can switch from gasoline to flex fuel according to Autobloggreen.

So, start selling it already.

Tax credits for natural gas hybrids?

Fight foreign oil dependency and invest in electrification

Not long ago I suggested new tax credits for non-plug-in hybrid vehicles, but with higher fuel economy standards. Since it's going to take decades before everyone is driving a plug-in, if ever, America needs other fuel efficient choices in the interim, especially cheaper solutions.

Finish: Tax credits for natural gas hybrids

Cramer keeps pumping Pickens Plan

Still on the Picken's bandwagon

Watched Jim Cramer interview Boone Pickens on Mad Money today. Cramer has become a huge supporter of the Picken's Plan, and both men seem to truly believe that the Pickens Plan wouldn't just end foreign oil dependency, but create a lot of new jobs here in the US.

Building up the wind corridor from Texas to North Dakota wouldn't just create enough electricity to account for 20 percent of total US electricity consumption, it would also create a lot of jobs.

Likewise, the solar corridor, from Texas to California would also create electricity and jobs, while pumping the kind of investment into solar that can truly make it cost effective. Once that happens solar power could offer far more potential than the government verified potential of wind power.

Clean coal? Pickens and Cramer called clean coal an oxymoron.

Nuclear? It will take too long according to Pickens.

The Pickens Plan. What do you think?

Would you buy a natural gas hybrid?

Camry hybrid - Fill 'er up with natural gas?

According to proponents, natural gas is cheaper and cleaner than gasoline, and it's not derived from foreign oil. Of course, if demand for natural gas increased drastically, would it still be so cheap?

Still, CNG vehicles aren't selling well. Go hybrid cars help?

Finish: Would you buy a natural gas hybrid?

Natural gas not flex fuel?

Biomass is not far cars

Ethanol. Many have called it the great boondoggle. To put it into cars, many claim, requires more energy than is gained, and a new life cycle study seems to confirm that belief.

Instead of using biomass to create bioethanol for cars, the study suggests the biomass should be used to replace natural gas for home heating, or for conversion into electricity. The displaced natural gas, the study suggests, could then be used for the transportation sector.

What to you think about natural gas hybrids?

Fill this hybrid up with natural gas

Toyota plans to debut a Toyota Camry hybrid concept at the LA Auto Show that uses natural gas rather than gasoline according to reports coming out of a Toyota Conference in Oregon. Toyota doesn't have concrete plans to build natural gas hybrid vehicles yet, but if US interest in natural gas continues to increase, Toyota would then consider developing such hybrids.

Are natural gas hybrids a good idea, or much ado about nothing?

Interesting natural gas interview

A natural gas advocate

Watched the CEO of Clean Energy Fuels talk to Jim Cramer last night on Mad Money. Pretty interesting conversation.

"One million natural gas-fueled trucks would displace 40% of the diesel we use, Littlefair, said, and natural gas costs about $1.50 a gallon less. Nat gas is plentiful right here in the States, too, unlike diesel, which is imported. All it would take is 1,600 nat-gas fueling stations across the country to make it happen, which isn’t much when you consider the 9,000 diesel stations we have now."

Read more.

Warming a little to Pickens Plan

Not just selling his book?

Boone Pickens is an oil man that has made a lot of money off investing in oil. Lately, he's put a lot of money in natural gas. At the same time, Pickens is trying to lobby America to offset some of its foreign oil dependency with natural gas.

So, is he just trying to sell his book?

Now, I have to admit, I haven't thoroughly researched the Pickens plan on my own, but I now intend to do just that, particularly after hearing Mr. Pickens talk on CNBC today.

Today, Pickens implied that natural gas isn't the solution to America's foreign oil dependence, but it can be part of the mix. In particular and especially, Pickens believes that natural gas would be great for heavy duty vehicles, such as buses and the large trucks carrying goods from our ports all throughout the country. These commercial transport vehicles account for about 30 percent of America's fuel consumption, and Pickens believes that natural gas infrastructure could be developed for such vehicles within just five years.

This isn't about converting all of America's cars to natural gas, but heavy duty trucks - vehicles that are light years away from the electrification of the automobile.

Combined with his ideas for wind and solar power, the Pickens plan does seem to have some merits, simply because it is realistic. It's not pie in the sky. It's a mix of today's technology and tomorrow's technology. Most important, it achieves results in a realistic time frame.

Anyway, I'll be talking more about the Pickens Plan, after I do some more thorough research. Until then, I'm not saying I support the Pickens Plan, but, without doubt, I support the call for a comprehensive energy plan.

Kudos to Pickens for lighting a fire on this issue. Can America get real? Or is it purely about drill, drill versus solar and wind and no compromises?

Cramer supports Pickens plan

Some have complained about natural gas pollution in Wyoming

I'm pulling my normal CNBC watch today and I've caught too many Pickens Plan commercials to count. While I'm not sure about the overall merits of this plan, Jim Cramer was asked about the Boone Pickens plan on last Friday's show during a mail call. Essentially, he was asked if he would work directly on the campaign. He said no because of CNBC obligations, which he enjoyed, but he stated that absolutely supported the Pickens plan.

Natural gas is not for cars

A depleting resource?

Yesterday, I caught Bob Simpson of XTO Energy give an interview on CNBC. The Chairmen and CIO, whom stands to do well if natural gas plays a more important role in US energy, claimed that while the US has a "secure supply" of natural gas, natural gas "is a depleting asset."

Moreover, in terms of automobiles, Simpson stated that the lack of infrastructure a major obstacle, especially in terms of the costs of building. Even more interesting, Simpson continually seemed bearish on the idea of Natural gas for cars. When asked about the potential of shale, Mr. Simpson seemed to imply that shale was simply going to replace the depleting natural gas of current wells.

My take, forget natural gas for automobiles or, in a few decades, we'll be just as dependent on foreign natural gas as we are on foreign oil.

Natural gas legislation proposed

A natural gas truck at HybridFest

According to Cars.com, "Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) have both introduced legislation that would offer tax credits and other incentives to gas stations that offer natural gas as a fuel, as well as tax breaks to automakers to build the cars that would run on it."

Fortunately, Cars.com also provided a good response to this legislation that echoes my opinions, " Yes, natural gas is cheap now, but it is a finite resource and a fossil fuel — just like oil. The more cars began to rely on natural gas for fuel, the larger the demand would become and the higher the price would likely climb. The price increase would also be passed on to those who use natural gas to heat their homes. Within a few years, we could find ourselves relying on imported natural gas from Russia to keep up with demand."

Natural gas just isn't a broad, long term solution. Natural gas vehicles aren't a horrible idea, there are just better ways to invest our energy money today.

Boone Pickens tries to push US energy policy

A Honda natural gas vehicle

How should America reduce foreign oil dependence?

Wind power and natural gas vehicles according to Boone Pickens, the famous energy trader, whom not-so-coincidentally happens to have billions already invested in his plan (Check CNBC later for video segments).

While I'm a fan of wind power, I'm not so supportive of natural gas. Inevitably, natural gas requires billions in new pipelines and infrastructure to be effective. More important, however, natural gas cannot replace oil without having to resort to foreign natural gas. While natural gas can no doubt help fight foreign oil dependence, is it a better path than plug-in hybrid vehicles, EVs, or cellulosic ethanol?

It's important that the US realize a new energy policy and it's great that Boone Pickens is helping to push the debate, but in terms of comprehensive energy policy, the Pickens plan seems to fall short.

Natural gas pollutes Wyoming town

Being destroyed by clean natural gas?

Boulder, Wyoming has only 75 residents, but it has the pollution of a major city. Why? "The pollution, largely from the region's booming natural gas industry, came in the form of ground-level ozone, which has exceeded healthy levels 11 times since January and caused Wyoming to issue its first ozone alerts. Now the ozone threatens to cost the industry and taxpayers millions of dollars to stay within federal clean-air laws." (MyWayNews)

Natural gas vehicles versus hybrid vehicles

Honda natural gas Civic next to Phill

USA Today is wondering why people don't care about natural gas vehicles. It's cheaper than gasoline. Natural gas vehicles are clean. Why so much attention on hybrid vehicles rather than natural gas?