Tulsa, OK -
With regular unleaded reaching $3.65, it's easy to see why there's pain at the pump.
Tom Sewell says you won't have to pay much to fill up at the station's he's built. "My gas is still $1.50. It's been that for a year and a half," he told Tulsa's Channel 8. Sewell with Tulsa Gas Technologies says he doesn't see that changing anytime soon. His pumps use compressed natural gas. The latest one opened just a few weeks ago in west Tulsa. Local car dealers, several companies and even the city of Tulsa is gassing up with it.
Now there's a summit to school others on how to make the change. "We have everyone here from a Mary Kay lady to an appliance chain here to learn about CNG and how they can save money in their fleet," said Adriane Jaynes with Tulsa Clean Cities. The group says the Oklahoma is the third largest producer of natural gas in the nation, so converting your car could go a long way into pumping prosperity into the area.
Sewell says his pumps are also made in Oklahoma and mostly manufactured in Tulsa. He got started 24 years ago and the then electric company owner, says few people saw the vision. "When I was telling people that I'm taking the gas you heat and cook with and run it in your car, and I'm going to compress it and put it in your vehicle, everybody thought I was crazy," he explained. His gamble paid off. He says business is booming.
Sewell says has stations across the state plus some in California, Washington D.C., and even in India. With educational events like the summit, he hopes that more people will convert their vehicles to CNG. "We feel like the better we educate people they'll be able to make their own decision," he said.
