美國參議院上週提出一項法案，調整購買天然氣汽車扣抵稅額上限至1萬2千5百美元。
該項兩黨共提的法案 -- S. 1408，將延伸並增加天然氣汽車和燃料補給的扣抵稅額範圍及額度。 
提案的發起人之一，紐澤西州民主黨參議員梅南德斯(Robert Menendez) 向記者表示: 「目前天然氣的產量比2年前高了35%，而這多歸功於新的開採技術。」
泛稱為NAT GAS Act（Natural Gas）的天然氣法案，延長了汽車使用天然氣作爲替代燃料、購買天然氣汽車、闢建天然氣汽車燃料補給站等用途的扣抵稅額達10年之久。
燃燒天然氣所產生的空氣污染遠低於汽油。據美國環保署的説法，天然氣汽車排放的毒物比一般汽車低了93%以上。
美國的天然氣資源豐富，其使用的天然氣98%原產於北美洲。而參議員哈奇（Hatch）表示這正是他支持這個法案的重要原因。
北美最大的運輸用天然氣供應商（Clean Energy），于 6月30日在毗鄰長堤港和洛杉磯港的地點，闢建了全球最大的卡車天然氣燃料補給站。美國環保署表示，天然氣可以100%取代目前重型車輛使用的石油。
該法案若闖關成功，每個天然氣燃料補給站的扣抵稅額將從5萬上調至10萬美元。運輸用天然氣供應商將因此從中受益。
此外，猶他州也是該法案的受益方之一。美國人每年使用達22萬億多立方英尺的天然氣。估計猶他州和鄰近幾個州的天然氣蘊藏量為350萬億立方英尺。目前，猶他州汽車用天然氣的售價為每加侖88美分。同時，州内至少有5千名汽、卡車的駕駛人使用天然氣作爲車輛補給燃料。
今年2月，猶他州州長（Jon Huntsman）亨斯邁宣布一項增加州内天然氣汽車燃料補給站基礎設施的計劃。並且在州情咨文中指定I-15號州際公路，從愛達荷州到亞利桑那州路段為天然氣汽車回廊。
州長辦公室進一步表示，2008年期間使用天然氣作為汽車燃料的需求成長了4倍。目前，猶他州以及其公用事業燃氣公司（Questar Gas）持有並經營25個對外開放的天然氣燃料補給站。
S. 1408 法案内容：
- 讓天然氣汽車和建設天然氣燃料基礎設施的扣抵稅額，由納稅人轉而回饋賣方或出租方。
- 州和地方政府機關得以發行免稅債券，以提供天然氣汽車開發項目所需資金。
- 2015年1月1日之前投入生産的汽車製造廠所花費的成本得以全額報銷，並在正式營運當年將其視為年度扣抵稅額。另外，此項扣抵稅額于2014年12月31日之後減少到50%，並逐年降低直到2020年1月1日全面取消。
- 為遵守強制性聯邦車隊替代燃料車輛購置需求，聯邦機構只限於購買特定的替代燃料車輛。除非該機構能提出證明，説明某替代燃料無法取得，或購買某類型車輛為不切實際。
- 補助輕型和重型天然氣發動機研發所需款項。
A bill that allows a tax credit of up to $12,500 for the purchase of a natural gas-fueled vehicle was introduced in the U.S. Senate this week.
The bipartisan legislation, S. 1408, would extend and increase tax credits for natural gas vehicles and refueling.
"Because of new extraction techniques," Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, who sponsored the legislation told reporters, "We now have 35 percent more accessible natural gas than we did two years ago."
The bill, known as the NAT GAS Act, extends for 10 years the alternative fuel credits for natural gas used as a vehicle fuel, the purchase of natural gas-fueled vehicle, and the installation of natural gas vehicle refueling property credit.
Burning natural gas produces far less air pollution than burning gasoline. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, cars running on natural gas cut overall toxic emissions by at least 93 percent compared to gasoline.
Natural gas is an abundant resource, with 98 percent of natural gas used in the United States originating in North America, a key reason for his support of this bill, said Senator Hatch.
The largest provider of natural gas for transportation in North America, on June 30, Clean Energy opened the world's largest natural gas truck fueling station on a site adjacent to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Natural gas has the ability to displace 100 percent of the petroleum currently used in heavy-duty vehicles, according to the EPA.
If the bill becomes law, it would increase the refueling property tax credit from $50,000 to $100,000 per station, a provision from which providers of natural gas for transportation would benefit.
The state of Utah also stands to benefit from this legislation. Americans use more than 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas per year. There are an estimated 350 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in Utah and surrounding states. Currently, natural gas for vehicles sells for 88 cents per gallon in Utah, and at least 5,000 Utah drivers fuel their cars and trucks with natural gas.
In February, Utah Governor Jon Huntsman announced plans to increase the state's natural gas vehicle fueling infrastructure and in his State of the State address designated Interstate 15 (I-15) from Idaho to Arizona as a natural gas vehicle corridor.
Demand for natural gas as a vehicle fuel has quadrupled during 2008, Huntsman's office says. Today, the state of Utah and the utility Questar Gas own and operate 25 natural gas fueling stations that are open to the public.
The legislation S. 1408:
- Allows the natural gas vehicle and natural gas fueling infrastructure credits to be transferred by the taxpayer back to the seller or to the lessor
- Allows state and local governmental entities to issue tax exempt bonds to finance natural gas vehicle projects.
- Allows 100 percent of the cost of a natural gas vehicle manufacturing facility that is placed in service before January 1, 2015 to be expensed and to be treated as a deduction in the taxable year in which the facility was placed in service. This decreases to 50 percent after December 31, 2014 and is phased out by January 1, 2020.
- Requires that when complying with mandatory federal fleet alternative fuel vehicle purchase requirements, federal agencies shall purchase dedicated alternative fuel vehicles unless the agency can show that alternative fuel is unavailable or that purchasing such vehicles would be impractical.
- Provides for grants for light-duty and heavy-duty natural gas engine development.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
