It’s always good to see funding toward natural gas vehicles coming down from the state government level. We’d just like to see more states open to the idea!

From US Gas Vehicles:

December 22, 2011. Governor Matt Mead’s proposed budget includes $1 million to convert several University of Wyoming vehicles to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Funding also would go toward building a natural-gas filling station on the UW campus in Laramie.

“Natural gas in Wyoming is abundant and inexpensive,” Mead wrote in his budget address. “(These) vehicles provide additional opportunities to use this resource at home as well as in broader markets.”

Wyoming is moving toward becoming an early adopter of natural gas for vehicle use. The proposal in Mead’s budget comes after he joined the governors of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Colorado to encourage U.S. automakers to make more natural-gas vehicles. The memorandum of understanding says the states will submit a joint request for proposals to buy natural-gas replacements that are comparable in price to gas-powered models as they replace older vehicles.

In addition, the Legislature approved $200.000 to retrofit or acquire compressed natural gas vehicles during the 2011 session. This will allow the state to convert about 20 of its vehicles.