Ken,

That was a well-written Op-Ed piece. However, you are missing the clear and obvious alternative choice for America's transportation needs...natural gas! Clean burning, domestically produced natural gas is a viable fuel option for much (not all) of our surface transportation needs. Methane (C-H4) in the form of LNG (liquefied natural gas) is a viable fuel solution for over-the-road trucking and other large fleet applications. Methane a in the form of CNG (compressed natural gas) is a viable motor fuel for passenger automobiles and more "localized" fleet applications (i.e. FedEx or UPS delivery trucks, etc).

I lived in Brazil where there are nearly two million motor vehicles presently operating on natural gas, compared to the paltry 140,000 here in the USA. Meanwhile, our great nation is blessed with an abundance of natural gas and an unmatched natural gas pipeline, storage, and distribution infrastructure. Yet, Rex Tillerson (CEO of Exxon-Mobil) has been quite vocal about natural gas not being a viable fuel solution for our nation's surface transportation needs. Why would he make such a stand? Perhaps it is because he is trying to protect Exxon's multi-billion dollar refinery investments which would be rendered redundant by a significant transition to natural gas by the automotive and trucking industries. Tillerson's mindset, which I dare say is representative of "Big Oil" as a whole, is 100% counter to our national interests.

Ken, please do more research on this topic, and consider writing some Op-Ed pieces about the virtues of natural gas (LNG & CNG) as a viable fuel source to be used in a PORTFOLIO of fuel options for Americans. There is no single "silver bullet" to solve the nation's transportation, energy, and environmental concerns. Rather, the answer lies in a portfolio of solutions.

The Brazilians have long since learned this valuable lesson and put into place a portfolio approach to their surface transportation needs. The Brazilians currently utilize sugar cane derived ethanol (3 times more efficient to grow than corn-based ethanol), petroleum derived fuels (gasoline & diesel), and natural gas (mostly CNG). By implementing a diversified portfolio approach to their surface transportation fuel needs, the Brazilians are now generating approximately 40% of their domestic fuel needs with renewables (ethanol), and they are exporting all of the "displaced" oil overseas. Brazil has become a net energy exporter and completely self sufficient in terms of its national petroleum consumption. But it was not always so. Brazil was dependent on imported oil to the tune of 85% of its domestic consumption at the beginning of the first OPEC oil embargo in 1973.

So, we Americans have many lessons that we could learn from the resourceful Brazilians. Tapping into our abundant natural gas resources for the transport sector might not be the only solution, but it certainly should be a significant factor in a diversified portfolio approach to our transportation energy requirements. It is certainly as viable an approach as an electrified approach to transportation.

John Block
Managing Director
Clean Energy Bridge, LLC
Fort Worth, Texas