Associated Press
January 20, 2009

Natural gas wouldn’t be subject to state fuel tax for five years, under a measure meant to encourage its use to power vehicles now reliant on gasoline and diesel.

The bill (LB421) would suspend collection of the tax until 2015. Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha introduced the measure Tuesday.

Texas oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens is pushing a combination of natural gas and wind energy to free the United States from dependence on foreign oil. Pickens calls for erecting wind turbines to generate electricity, replacing the more than 20 percent of U.S. power produced from natural gas.

The freed-up natural gas then could be used to power vehicles until other technologies such as battery power can be improved.