Utah Legislature Trying To Make it Easier For Natural-gas Conversions

Phill, A CNG Home Filling Station

A House committee approved a bill Friday meant to put thousands of safe and clean-burning natural-gas cars on Utah's roads.

HB70 would bypass a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fuel-conversion-kit certification process that compressed natural gas (CNG) car enthusiasts say is too burdensome and costly.

Instead, the state Division of Air Quality would certify technicians to ensure conversion kits are installed safely and to check them every three years or 36,000 miles to see that they continue to burn correctly.

Currently, many converted CNG vehicles technically are illegal because the installers didn't use EPA-approved kits. But approved kits are expensive and unavailable for most vehicle models.

The proposed process goes around the EPA by using certified technicians, a step the EPA doesn't oppose, said HB70sponsor Rep. Jack Draxler, R-North Logan.

Enabling more legal conversions is important, Draxler argued, to reduce consumption of imported oil and improve Utah's air quality with cleaner CNG vehicles.

"This winter we've had red-air days going into red-air weeks and ... almost red-air months," Draxler said. "We will never get enough vehicles on the road running on compressed natural gas if we wait for the EPA."

EPA-approved kits generally cost $14,000 because of federal testing requirements. The state bill would make most conversions about $8,000 cheaper, Draxler said. For that reason, vehicles converted under his bill would not be eligible for the current CNG vehicle tax credit of up to $1,500.

The House Business and Labor Committee gave the bill a favorable recommendation Friday.