Monthly Archives: November 2009

Dan Gibson Streamliner is World’s Fastest Compressed Natural Gas Car

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Dan Gibson | Comments Off


We got an email not too long ago about the Streamliner. The Streamliner is a car built by Lessman Racing that runs on compressed natural gas (CNG). But this is no Toyota. Streamliner was clocked at an official speed of 323 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats in early October making it the world’s fastest compressed natural gas vehicle.

The next step for the team is trying to get the Streamliner over 400 m.p.h. You can follow their progress at the Lessman Racing web site. We’ve also included some engine specs and a picture below.

2433132864a00dc67a1233 Streamliner is World’s Fastest Compressed Natural Gas Car

Engine: Single engine, large-block Ford V-8, 572 cubic inch displacement, turbocharged
Fuel: Compressed natural gas
Transmission: 5 Speed planetary-type, air shifted
Drive Train: All wheel drive, 1:1 ratio, custom design case, electronic traction control
Wheels: Modular 16 x 6 aluminum
Tires: 24 inch diameter special Bonneville LSR tires, spun tested to 750 MPH
Chassis: Tube frame/carbon fiber composite, suspension with +/- one inch travel
Body: Carbon fiber/Kevlar® composite
Brakes: Single rear disc, three parachutes
Weight: 3,000 pounds, “wet” with driver
Dimensions: Approximate, not including vertical stabilizer, 32 inches wide by 26 inches
high (34 inches at top of cockpit) by 28 feet long. Frontal area is 7.25 square feet.
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Chris Hogan Defend my dividend countdown update

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Chris Hogan | Comments Off


As we move closer to a new year, America’s investors are also moving closer to an equally significant milestone.  When we ring in 2010, only three short months from now, we also start a countdown that may very well lead to no celebration at all.

If Congress does not act, on December 31, 2010, investors from all walks of life – whether individual retirees or pension fund managers – will face markedly increased taxes on their dividend income.  In fact, the maximum dividend tax rate will jump from the current 15 percent to almost 40 percent!

091014 dmdupdate Defend my dividend countdown update

I was just in Albuquerque, New Mexico, speaking to more than two hundred investors who are concerned about what the future holds for them.  This event, an annual luncheon for members of the New Mexico Utility Shareholders Alliance, brought home to me the importance of face-to-face advocacy.  I had been invited to talk about this very issue and to let everyone in the room know that someone was looking out for them.

Read the rest of the story →

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Mike Pomorski Natural gas market indicators

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Mike Pomorski | Comments Off


091113.ngmi Natural gas market indicators

For a brief moment during the shoulder month of October natural gas prices at Henry Hub firmed as expectations of increased economic activity and the view that domestic natural gas production was finally ready to take a tumble prevailed.

It is entirely possible that either or both of those things may develop this winter. However, they may not.Recent years have demonstrated that the November-December period seems to set the tone for winter fuels expectations.

Given the relative strength in underground storage and the uncertainty still surrounding the U.S. economy, a warm start to the 2009-2010 winter heating season may very well put a lid on seasonal price volatility and offer local gas utility customers significant relief from winter bills, as was estimated by the Energy Information Administration in the October 2009 Winter Fuels Outlook. That outlook saw the potential for reductions of 12 percent in home heating costs for natural gas customers compared to the previous winter heating season.

Visit this link to download the full Natural Gas Market Indicator. Topics covered include: Reported Prices, Weather, Working Gas in Underground Storage, Natural Gas Production, Rig Counts, Pipeline Imports and Exports, and LNG Markets.

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Dan Gibson Clean Cities Success Story: City of Kansas City

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Dan Gibson | Comments Off


Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Vehicle Technologies Program. With almost 90 local coalitions and more than 5,700 stakeholders, Clean Cities’ mission is to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector. We’ve written about Clean Cities a few times in the past.

They have a new section of videos showcasing alternative fuels (think compressed natural gas) and advanced vehicles that we showcased a few weeks ago. Here’s another one that focuses on the city of Kansas City.



In 1996, Kansas City instituted a fleet-wide alternative fuel program. Today that program has grown to include more than 200 compressed natural gas cars, trucks, and vans fueling up at the city’s central CNG station. Their 1,100 diesels run primarily on B20 and B50 biodiesel. Last June, Kansas City received the first 4 of 19 Diamond International trucks upfitted for CNG. Used to repair water main breaks, they are some of the largest rigs to run on CNG.

Sam Swearngin, Fleet Superintendent at City of Kansas City, said, “We’re kind of proud of the fact that these trucks are the cleanest trucks you can buy on the planet that do what they do and operate right here in our neighborhood.”

The program doesn’t stop there. Kansas City International Airport runs 35 shuttle buses run on CNG, making Kansas City cleaner and less dependent on oil.

You can view the video above or hop on over to the Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center Web site for more.

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