SJR 29, as introduced, Lieu. Natural gas vehicle fuel standards.
This measure would urge any official of the State of California involved with the National Conference on Weights and Measures and acting in his or her official capacity to strongly support the natural gas vehicle fuel standards recommended by the Natural Gas Steering Committee of the National Conference on Weights and Measures. The measure would also urge the United States Department of Commerce, the National Conference on Weights and Measures, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to work with the natural gas industry to develop natural gas vehicle fuel standards that are user and consumer friendly and that include recognition of the gasoline and diesel gallon equivalent units for dispensing natural gas.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, The United States Constitution reserves to the
2states the right to regulate commerce and the weights and measures
3system within their borders; and
4WHEREAS, In 1905, the National Bureau on Standards called
5for a meeting of the states to discuss the lack of uniform standards
6for weights and measurement in the United States that was
7crippling economic growth; and
P2 1WHEREAS, In 1906, participating states met again, which
2marked the birth of the National Conference on Weights and
3Measures; and
4WHEREAS, The National Conference on Weights and Measures
5has evolved into a not-for-profit corporation that ensures national
6standards keep pace with evolving technology and marketing
7practices; and
8WHEREAS, Natural gas vehicles and infrastructure continues
9to develop in the State of California, and more largely, in the
10United States; and
11WHEREAS, Natural gas is the cleanest burning alternative
12transportation fuel commercially available today; and
13WHEREAS, Natural gas vehicles emit 20 to 30 percent less
14greenhouse gases than their diesel and gasoline counterparts; and
15WHEREAS, The utilization of natural gas as a motor vehicle
16fuel has seen a massive increase over the past five years due to
17stable and affordable pricing; and
18WHEREAS, The State of California provides incentives to
19encourage the development and deployment of natural gas vehicles
20and fueling stations in the state; and
21WHEREAS, In 1999, 2010, and 2013, the Legislature enacted
22laws designed to encourage growth in purchases of natural gas
23vehicles by authorizing decals that allow natural gas vehicles to
24use carpool lanes.
25WHEREAS, New networks of natural gas vehicles and fueling
26stations are being established around the country and within the
27State of California; and
28WHEREAS, In 1994, the National Conference on Weights and
29Measures established the gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) as the
30official unit of sale for compressed natural gas (CNG); and
31WHEREAS, The GGE is a consumer friendly unit of
32measurement because it represents the amount of CNG that has
33the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline; and
34WHEREAS, The GGE standard puts CNG in a unit that is
35familiar to consumers and allows consumers to evaluate the cost
36between CNG and traditional motor vehicle fuels; and
37WHEREAS, Since 2011, an increasing number of long-haul
38trucking companies have begun converting their fuel source to
39liquefied natural gas (LNG); and
P3 1WHEREAS, By the end of 2014, there is expected to be a
2nationwide network of LNG refueling stations; and
3WHEREAS, Because LNG only displaces diesel as a motor
4vehicle fuel, it is sold on a diesel gallon equivalent (DGE); and
5WHEREAS, The Clean Vehicle Education Foundation, in
6conjunction with the natural gas vehicle industry, submitted a
7request to the National Conference on Weights and Measures in
82013 to adopt a standard definition of a DGE; and
9WHEREAS, On March 19, 2014, the National Conference on
10Weights and Measures announced that its Natural Gas Steering
11Committee recommended that natural gas be sold in terms of
12gasoline and diesel gallon equivalents as opposed to units of mass,
13either pounds or kilograms; and
14WHEREAS, The National Institute of Standards and Technology
15publishes the standards adopted by the National Conference on
16Weights and Measures; and
17WHEREAS, California is one of 44 states that automatically
18adopt the standards published by the National Institute of Standards
19and Technology; and
20WHEREAS, The National Conference on Weights and Measures
21is scheduled to vote on the recommended natural gas vehicle fuel
22standards at its annual meeting in July of 2014; now, therefore, be
23it
24Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of
25California, jointly, That the Legislature strongly supports the
26natural gas vehicle fuel standards recommended by the Natural
27Gas Steering Committee of the National Conference on Weights
28and Measures; and be it further
29Resolved, That the Legislature urges any official of the State of
30California involved with the National Conference on Weights and
31Measures and acting in his or her official capacity to strongly
32support the natural gas vehicle fuel standards recommended by
33the Natural Gas Steering Committee of the National Conference
34and Weights and Measures; and be it further
35Resolved, That the Legislature urges the United States
36Department of Commerce, the National Conference on Weights
37and Measures, and the National Institute of Standards and
38Technology to work with the natural gas industry to develop natural
39gas vehicle fuel standards that are user and consumer friendly and
P4 1that include recognition of the gasoline and diesel gallon equivalent
2units for dispensing natural gas; and be it further
3Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
4this resolution to the Governor of California, to the Secretary of
5Food and Agriculture, to the United States Secretary of Commerce,
6to the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
7Technology, to the Executive Director of the National Conference
8on Weights and Measures, and to the author for appropriate
9distribution.
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