This week, Energy in Depth – Ohio visited Ohio State University for the Ohio Natural Gas Vehicle Summit. The event was put on by America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) in coordination with Governor John Kasich’s office and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.  The purpose of the summit was to bring together experts on energy and transportation to discuss strategies for increased use and manufacturing of natural gas vehicles.  At Governor Kasich’s energy summit last year, he explained the goal of expanding the use of NGVs because of their low emissions and lower cost of operating.  Yesterday’s summit aimed to aid in that goal.

A common theme among the event’s speakers was the timing of widespread transition to natural gas vehicles.  Many expressed that there have been several attempts over the past couple decades, but because of low natural gas prices due to shale development, now is the time. ANGA provided some statistics to the event’s guests that show the incredible benefits of natural gas.  According to a 2012 analysis by IHS Global Insight, the unconventional gas in Ohio is responsible for 31,462 total jobs in 2010 and that number is projected to increase to 81,349 by 2035.  It’s also responsible for $2.03 billion in total labor income in 2010 and projected to increase to $5.2 billion for Ohio workers by 2035.  The analysis also showed that between 2010 and 2015, the top 10 states producing unconventional natural gas, which includes Ohio, will experience a compound annual job growth of nearly 8%, while total U.S. employment is expected to grow at a significantly lower rate of 1.6% during the same period.

Jimmy Stewart, President of the Ohio Gas Association took a few minutes to chat with us about the state of natural gas prices and the benefits and obstacles of transitioning to compressed natural gas:

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