Kanawha Converts Project Aims to Expand Natural Gas Consumption in the Kanawha Valley

With the recent Marcellus and Utica shale gas discoveries, natural gas has become an important commodity in West Virginia. As a result, natural gas could be utilized as a cleaner, alternative fuel.

That’s the goal of Kanawha Converts, a consortium of local governmental and business leaders and economic development, energy and education agencies. The consortium was created through seed funding by the Kanawha County Commission to analyze using compressed natural gas as a vehicular fuel for its fleet vehicles.

In the United States, recent shale gas discoveries have generated renewed interest in using natural gas as a vehicular fuel, primarily in fleet applications. With the discovery of the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale in West Virginia and surrounding regions, as well as with existing manufacturing infrastructure in the Kanawha Valley and enactment of the 2011 Marcellus Gas and Manufacturing Development Act, Kanawha County officials want advancement of the energy, economic and environmental goals for the region through fleet conversion to compressed natural gas engines with the Kanawha Converts program.

“With the natural gas reserves from the Marcellus Shale and the proven technology for converting gasoline engines to natural gas engines, this will result in triple incentives for natural gas-powered vehicles,” says Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper. “We are motivated to work for the success of this endeavor which will clearly result in improving the health and quality of life for our county’s citizens and help reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”

Kanawha Converts hopes to open a natural gas fueling station as part of its goals. By switching to natural gas for its fleet vehicles, the county could reduce maintenance costs for vehicles and also save money by making the county less dependent on gasoline and diesel.

This renewed interest from Kanawha County and Bridgemont Community and Technical College in CNG has other benefits, such as the positive environmental impacts of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and particulate emissions that the county citizens breathe.

Along with the county commission, the Kanawha Converts consortium is made up of representatives from the Charleston Area Alliance, Bridgemont Community and Technical College, the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority, Chesapeake Energy and other individuals from the state’s energy sector and local business community.