New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition’s New Jersey Compressed Natural Gas Refuse Trucks, Shuttle Buses and Infrastructure project will deploy 277 heavy-duty natural gas garbage trucks and shuttle buses and four new CNG fueling stations throughout Newark, Camden, Trenton, Atlantic City, and Egg Harbor Township.  The initiative also includes projects to educate the public about the benefits of using clean burning, domestically produced natural gas in vehicles.  DOE estimates that the project will help displace 1.8 million gallons of petroleum annually.

Wind is the fastest-growing renewable power source in the U.S. “Wind farms” provide electricity to seven million households in 35 states, and use of wind power grows by more than 40% every year. The U.S. wind energy industry installed 8,503 megawatts (MW) in 2008. Currently, wind power provides about 2% of our nation’s electricity; experts estimate that wind energy could provide as much as 20% of our nation’s electricity.

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR® CFL bulb, we would save almost six billion kWh per year—enough energy to light nearly three million homes. We’d also save more than $600 million in annual energy costs and reduce greenhouse gases by the equivalent of nearly 750,000 cars. The average CFL lasts 10,000 hours, and when you replace it, you can recycle it!

“We have about twice as much (natural gas) energy in the continental United States than all the oil reserves in Saudi Arabia.” T Boone Pickens, Naples Daily News, November 2, 2009

At the current production rates, “the current recoverable resource estimate provides enough natural gas to supply the U.S. for the next 90 years.”  John Podesta and Tim Wirth, “Natural Gas A Bridge Fuel for the 21st Century” released by the Center for American Progress

“A massive natural-gas discovery here in northern Louisiana heralds a big shift in the nation’s energy landscape. After an era of declining production, the U.S. is now swimming in natural gas.”  Ben Casselman, The Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2009

The Potential Gas Committee latest biennial assessment of the nation’s natural gas resources indicates that the United States possesses a total resource base of 1,836 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. This is the highest resource evaluation in the Committee’s 44-year history and represents a 39% increase from their study two years earlier.

A comprehensive study released by Navigant Consulting, Inc. indicates the United States has enough natural gas reserves to last more than 100 years.

“America cannot build a 21st Century energy economy with a mid-20th Century electricity system. This is why the Obama Administration is investing in projects that will lay the foundation for a modernized, resilient electrical grid.  By working with industry leaders and the private sector, we can drive the evolution to a clean, smart, national electricity system that will create jobs, reduce energy use, expand renewable energy production, and cut carbon pollution.”  Secretary Energy Steven Chu

“Natural gas is not the ultimate solution at ending our dependence on foreign oil… But natural-gas vehicles must be part of the solution as well, because With new extraction techniques we now have 35% more accessible natural gas than we did two years ago.” – Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

Compressed natural gas bus life-cycle costs are at least 45 percent lower than diesels or hybrids because they are more economical to purchase, fuel, and maintain.

“A reliable and affordable supply of U.S. energy has profound impacts on every sector of our economy and is the backbone of the U.S. employment base.  Natural gas is a clean-burning, low-carbon fuel that is predominantly produced here at home. This caucus will serve to investigate and debate the economic and national security implications of the newfound abundance of natural gas in the United States.”  Sen. Mary Landrieu on the launch of the Congressional Natural Gas Caucus

In 2008, nearly 90 percent of the natural gas consumed in the United States came from domestic U.S. supplies

Only 20% of homes built before 1980 are well insulated.  One of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more comfortable year-round is to add insulation to your attic. Adding insulation to the attic is relatively easy and very cost effective.

“The move from $33 to $68 a barrel — during a time of surplus — offers just a whiff of what will happen when supply tightens again. If the recession passes and scarcity sets in, the return of energy angst will make for giddy prices in the oil market.” – Edward Silver, energy analyst and former Los Angeles Times writer.