The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has scheduled a forum next month at Drexel University to focus on promotion and regulation of alternative fuel vehicles (AFV), including natural gas and electric cars. Specifically, the forum will address:

• The state of development and costs of various technologies;
• What constraints exist in developing AFVs – both nationwide and in Pennsylvania;
• What are the appropriate private sector, utility and Commission roles in fostering the economic development and the expansion of the necessary infrastructure;
• What specific transportation sector markets (e.g. private, commercial, mass transit, etc.) hurdles exist;
• What impact will AFV development have on the operation and reliability of both our power grid and natural gas supply system; and
• What are the specific local, state and federal regulatory needs required to support the growth of AFVs.

“The Commission is particularly interested in exploring how we can foster policies and regulatory frameworks that support investments in natural gas and electric vehicles and their required infrastructure.”

Details for the forum are available at the PUC website.

Given her abundance of natural gas, and the inability Congress to pass pro-natural gas vehicle legislation at the federal level (HR 1380), it will be interesting to see if Pennsylvania can take a lead in building the natural gas vehicle market.