The honorable Zach D. Taylor Jr. honors

[ OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - DECEMBER 20, 2010 ] - Oklahomans have good reason to be proud of two major energy consumers in the state. This month, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments bestowed the Zach D. Taylor Jr. Clean Cities Vision Award to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Oklahoma Natural Gas, representing the public and private sectors, respectively.

I had the good fortune of knowing Zach Taylor and his passion for good public service and I consider myself lucky for that good fortune.

The awards, given for leadership in the realm of alternative fuels, distinguish its recipients for making strides in promoting the use of clean-burning fuels. A look at both of this year’s award winners highlights congruent efforts in Oklahoma’s public and private sectors to encourage the use of non-traditional fuels in transportation.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation, known commonly as ODOT, was lauded for its use of more than 20,000 gallons of biodiesel each year. Just this year, ODOT has participated in paving the way (pun intended) for biodiesel as an alternative fuel for passenger trains, as part of a project in partnership with Amtrak and the Texas Department of Transportation.

This sort of interstate cooperation and leadership could change the way we travel in this part of the country. In a few years, Oklahomans may have the option of traveling to the Dallas area for a Red River Rivalry game in a truly low-emissions, light impact kind of way. The department’s testing of biodiesel on the Heartland Flyer train route between Oklahoma City and Forth Worth will be complete this spring, and was recently considered one of the leading inventions of the year by Time magazine. Such national recognition doesn’t always come the way of state agencies, and we can all be proud of ODOT’s accomplishments.

Oklahoma Natural Gas, a familiar name to most Oklahomans, has risen to the top of the private sector for its own transportation based initiatives. Though the company is no stranger to the promise of natural gas vehicles, having started its own program in 1970, ONG has continued to be a leader among United States utilities for the number of alternative-fuel vehicles it maintains as part of its fleet. The ONG has proudly utilized “homegrown” natural gas to fuel a majority of its vehicles, and has been recognized for its commitment to supporting educational opportunities for Oklahomans to successfully navigate the compressed natural gas field.

Oklahoma Natural Gas and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation are representing its customers and constituents well. By showcasing this sort of self-starting leadership, both entities bring what’s best about Oklahoma to forefront of the ever-changing intersection between energy and transportation: the industriousness to adapt, the vision of a better future, and the dedication to harnessing Oklahoma’s natural resources in responsible and forward-thinking ways.

We certainly are proud, as I believe Taylor would be too, and look forward to watching these two leaders continue to find uniquely Oklahoman solutions to such modern questions.

Jim Roth, a former Oklahoma corporation commissioner, is an attorney with Phillips Murrah P.C. in Oklahoma City, where his practice focuses on clean, green energy for Oklahoma.