NCWM ANNUAL MEETING SET TO VOTE ON DGE STANDARD

On Wednesday, the National Conference of Weights and Measures (NCWM) issued a press release announcing that its members will vote on the diesel gallon equivalent (DGE) standard this summer. The proposal that includes the DGE standard was recently submitted to key NCWM committees by NCWM’s NGV Steering Committee. The Steering Committee developed the proposal over the past several months by holding weekly conference calls with industry and state regulators. NGVAmerica and several members participated on the Steering Committee. The press release appears intended to quell the outcry over earlier indications that NCWM was considering voting on a measure that would have required that natural gas—CNG and LNG—be sold only in kilograms and would have required existing pumps to be modified accordingly.

The announcement sets the stage for what is likely to be a spirited debate this spring at regional meetings and this summer at the Annual Meeting. The actual language of the proposed standard is expected to be available sometime in early April when Publication 16 is released. Natural gas advocates have been aggressively advocating for the DGE standard since January when it became apparent that the standard was in danger of not receiving enough support from state regulators. A handful of state legislatures have even introduced bills calling for the use of the DGE standard for CNG and LNG. The momentum appears to be back in favor of the DGE proposal but natural gas proponents must continue to make the case for the standard with state government officials, particularly those officials who will be attending the July Annual Meeting in Detroit, Michigan. For this standard to be adopted, it is also critical that natural gas proponents attend the NCWM Annual Meeting and make sure their voices are heard.