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ROB MCCLENDON: HELLO EVERYONE; THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE ON
HORIZON.
WELL FILLING UP AT THE PUMP CAN GET DOWN RIGHT PAINFUL THESE DAYS,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU DRIVE A LARGE VEHICLE.
BUT A GROWING NUMBER OF OKLAHOMANS ARE KEEPING THEIR LARGE TRUCKS AND
SUV'S, AND ONLY PAYING ABOUT A DOLLAR A GALLON THANKS TO THE LOW COST OF
COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS.
ROB: FROM THE GIANT FLAG OVERHEAD TO THE ROWS OF VEHICLES BELOW, THE
FRONTIER AUTO GROUP IN EL RENO, OKLAHOMA, IS NOT UNLIKE AUTO DEALERS AROUND
THE NATION, EXCEPT FOR WHAT THEY SELL.
BOB BALKE: THERE IS A REAL BIG NEED FOR CNG IN OKLAHOMA, BEING OKLAHOMA
IS THE NUMBER ONE CNG STATE IN THE NATION.
ROB: SO BOB BALKE, BET BIG, THAT MORE AND MORE CUSTOMERS WILL CHOOSE CNG
POWERED VEHICLES FOR A SIMPLE REASON, THE LOW COST OF FUEL.
BALKE: THE ONE THAT I DROVE, WE PUT ABOUT 243 MILES ON IT AND PUT 20
GALLONS WORTH OF CNG FUEL IN IT.
SO IT DOES VERY GOOD FUEL ECONOMY, VERY CHEAP TRANSPORTATION IN THAT
SENSE.
ROB: BALKE SAYS SOME OF HIS BEST CUSTOMERS OF THESE BIG THREE QUARTER
TON TRUCKS HAVE BEEN FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND FOLKS IN THE ENERGY
INDUSTRY, LOOKING TO SAVE A BUCK, A SAVINGS AT THE PUMP THAT COULD ALSO SAVE
TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA OWNS CLOSE TO 11,000 VEHICLES THAT CRISS-CROSS THE
STATE, AND A GROWING NUMBER ARE NOW CNG VEHICLES.
MICHAEL MING: THIS YEAR WE ORDERED ABOUT 240 OF THOSE UNITS.
ROB: MICHAEL MING IS OKLAHOMA'S SECRETARY OF ENERGY AND A LEADING
PROPONENT OF GOVERNOR FALLIN'S MULTI STATE PURCHASING INNITIATIVE
DESIGNED TO BOOST CNG CONSUMPTION BY CONVERTING FLEET VEHICLES TO THE
CHEAPER BURNING FUEL.
DRIVING AROUND DOWNTOWN HE SAYS HE HAS EVEN CONVERTED HIS OWN TRUCK.
MING: I STILL HAVE MY GASOLINE TANK.
I HAVE TO FILL UP A LITTLE MORE OFTEN NOW WITH CNG, BECAUSE I HAVE A SMALLER
TANK, BUT THE PRICE ADVANTAGE IS SUCH THAT, I MEAN, YOU DON'T WANT TO
BURN GASOLINE ANYMORE IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BECAUSE IT'S SO AFFORDABLE TO BURN
CNG.
ROB: NOW, DO YOU NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY IT DRIVES?
MING: THERE'S A SLIGHT POWER DIFFERENCE ON CNG, JUST A LITTLE BIT LESS,
BUT FRANKLY YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE IT.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, THE GOOD SIDE OF THAT, I ACTUALLY GET BETTER MILES PER
GALLON ON CNG, SO I GET, I WAS GETTING PROBABLY 16 MILES PER GALLON ON
GASONLINE, I GET MAYBE 18 MILES PER GALLON ON CNG.
SO NOT ONLY IS THE FUEL CHEAPER, THE PERFORMANCE IS BETTER, SO.
ROB: TYPICALLY, WHAT DOES IT COST YOU TO FILL UP?
MING: WELL NORMALLY I PUT IN ABOUT 8 GALLONS, SO 8 GALLONS AT THE STATION
WE'LL FILL UP AT TODAY WILL BE ABOUT 8 DOLLARS, ABOUT 99 CENTS A GALLON.
ROB: NOT A BAD DEAL.
MING: NOT A BAD DEAL.
ROB: NOT A BAD DEAL FOR THE STATE EITHER.
MING: NO, IT'S A GREAT DEAL.
ROB: YET ONLY FOUR STATES HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE CNG A PRATICAL
REALITY, CALIFORNIA, UTAH, OKLAHOMA AND NEW YORK; WITH OKLAHOMA HAVING THE
MOST PER CAPITA WITH 100 CNG FILLING STATIONS AROUND THE STATE.
MING: WE HAVE PRICE COMPETITION AT THE PUMP.
THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT, AND IF YOU LOOK, I HAVE AN APP ON THE I-PHONE THAT
SHOWS YOU WHERE ALL THE STATIONS ARE AND WHAT THEIR PRICES ARE.
IN OKLAHOMA CITY YOU'LL PAY BETWEEN 79 CENTS AND $1.29 PER GALLON
EQUIVALENT FOR CNG.
OTHER STATES ARE PAYING $1.50 TO $2.50 PER GALLON EQUIVALENT.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS, OKLAHOMA WITH SAY 10 MILLION GALLONS OF SALES,
TWO AND A HALF DOLLARS A GALLON IS 25 MILLION DOLLARS OF DISCRETIONARY
INCOME THAT'S GOING BACK INTO THE ECONOMY NOW.,
MONEY THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEND ON GASOLINE,
A BIG PART OF WHICH GOES OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
ROB: WELL ACCORDING TO SECRETARY MING, THE GOAL OF GETTING C-N-G FUELING
STATIONS EVERY 100 MILES IS NOW DOWN TO EVERY 50 MILES NO MATTER THE
DIRECTION YOU DRIVE.
NOW THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ON PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO GET MORE
C-N-G STATIONS IN OUR RURAL AREAS.
WHEN WE RETURN, BIG WHEELS ROLLING ON COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS.