1. NCWM Diesel Gallon Equivalent Standard Update
As we get closer to this summer’s NCWM vote on the diesel gallon equivalent, support continues
to grow for the measure. On May 12th, the presiding officer of the Oklahoma Senate joined with
the presiding officer of the House in forwarding Concurrent Resolution Number 42 to Oklahoma’s
Secretary of the State. The resolution pronounces the Oklahoma legislature’s strong support for
adoption of the diesel gallon equivalent standard. The resolution also states that the legislature
would “object to any standards proffered by the National Conference of Weights and Measures
which require natural gas motor fuels to be sold in units other than diesel and gasoline gallon
equivalents.” The resolution indicates that it is to be distributed to the Governor, the members of
the State Corporate Commission, and to the Executive Director of the National Conference of
Weights and Measures.
Yet another Governor, the fourth to weigh in on this issue, Gary Herbert of Utah, has written to
the National Conference of Weights and Measures Association to express support for the diesel
gallon equivalent proposal. Governor Herbert’s letter notes that “dispensing natural gas in
equivalents is uniform across the industry, and is quickly becoming the standard for the taxation of
both LNG and CNG. Reversing course now would affect negatively uniformity already present in
the marketplace, constitute an additional economic cost to industry with little evident benefit to
consumers, and disregard the precedent set by the NCWM many years ago.” The letter was
addressed to NCWM Chairman John Gaccione as well as to key NCWM committee chairs.
Finally, on May 1st, 54 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed onto a letter
addressed to U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker. The letter expresses support for the
current GGE standard that has been in place for over 20 years. With regard to the current proposal
before NCWM, the letter urges the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, which serves
as an advisor to the NCWM, to work with industry to “find common ground and a process and a
standard that is of benefit to all parties.” The letter also states that the congressional members
“strongly oppose efforts by NCWM to require that natural gas be sold in kilograms.”