Study Shows Natural Gas Grants Boost Economy in Texas Triangle

On Monday, the University of Texas at San Antonio Institute for Economic Development released a study showing that three State grants to support natural gas programs generated $128 million in economic impact, generated $79.1 million in gross state product and supported 927 full-time jobs in 2014. The three grants, totaling $52.9 million, generated that impact by supporting the construction of new natural gas fueling stations and the adoption of natural gas vehicles.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) administered the three grants: the Clean Transportation Triangle (CTT), the Alternative Fueling Facilities Program (AFFP) and the Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Program (TNGVP). The CTT and AFFP encourage the building of natural gas fueling infrastructure to connect Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston—the Texas Triangle—and to support fleets and other drivers of alternative fuel vehicles. The Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Program (TNGVP) enables companies that own or operate heavy/medium duty motor vehicles to repower those vehicles with a natural gas engine, or replace those vehicles with natural gas vehicles. The CTT and AFFP grants totaled nearly $21 million and supported 54 natural gas station applicants from 2012 to 2014. The TNGVP grants totaled $32 million and supported 618 NGV purchases and four vehicle conversations for 50 applicants from 2012 to 2014.

UTSA economists predict that the impact of the three grants will skyrocket in 2018, generating $484 million in total economic output, $302 million gross state product, and 3,076 full-time jobs. Economic Impacts of Natural Gas Fueling Station Infrastructure and Vehicle Conversions in the Texas Clean Transportation Triangle was prepared by the Center for Community and Business Research at the UTSA Institute for Economic Development. The research was supported with funding from America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA).