Good points, Paul. I think a NG focus would require a shift in thinking that hasn't happened yet.

But there's a lot of NG around. More than we know what to do with. The problem is transportation. There are massive proven reserves in the Arctic that haven't been tapped because it's not worth the cost of shipping (pipelines aren't cheap). The private sector doesn't see a good chance of a return on that multi-billion dollar investment. In Alberta, we are (IMO) using NG (which is worth very little) to fuel the oilsands business (which creates a value-added product for export). Kind of a convoluted path, I suppose, but that's the market.

But on the home front, if memory serves, I could have a natural gas filling station installed for about $3500. A vehicle conversion would only be practical for a pickup truck, but if I was a contractor hauling a trailer for a known distance it would pay off pretty quickly. And IIRC you can switch to gasoline if you need extra range.

BTW, wasn't it T. Boone Pickens of Texas that was pushing NG for long-haul transport?