CNG Tax Fails to Dampen Industry

Beginning of article

By Ronda Fears

Journal Record Staff Reporter

Oklahoma enthusiasts of compressed natural gas aren't discouraged with its addition to the federal fuel tax roll by the so-called deficit reduction package signed into law Tuesday by President Clinton.

"I don't think it'll affect it that much. We don't think it will be a negative marketing factor," said Eldridge Luber with Oklahoma Natural Gas Co., the state's largest gas utility and loudest cheerleader for CNG.

"The thing that we were concerned about was the Btu tax," he said. Clinton originally proposed a tax based on British thermal unit energy content of fuels.

Congress tacked on an …