Speaker promotes energy bills OKLAHOMA CITY (KOSU) - A state House panel Tuesday approved measures to promote alternative energy.
Among other things, the bills would qualify companies involved in the wind energy industry for the state's Quality Jobs Program and authorize the Department of Central Services to build compressed natural gas fueling stations for state agencies, cities and counties.
The Quality Jobs measure would extend existing financial incentives to companies that support, repair and service the wind energy industry in hopes of luring them to Oklahoma.
The incentives encourage companies to create new, well-paying jobs and offer their employees health insurance.
The second bill is an attempt to expand the number of vehicles that run on alternative fuels like CNG and expand the number of publicly available fueling stations across the state.
House Speaker Chris Benge, who is pushing for the legislation, says the state-financed program will help jump-start the use of CNG vehicles in Oklahoma and the nation.
Currently, there are eight million CNG-powered vehicles in the world but only 100,000 are in the U.S.

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