With rising gas prices comes realistic Oklahoma alternative

TULSA - Gas prices are on a rollercoaster once again.

They are expected to peak as much as 20 cents this weekend and inch near $5 by the summer.

However, as the cost of fuel continues to rise, so does the demand for an alternative.

If you see Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett's right hand man driving his car around town it might look like a regular Honda, but its not.

"Right now we have 20 CNG vehicles in our fleet, 5 refuse trucks and 15 sedans," Brett Fidler said.

Fidler is the director of sustainability for the city.

As the city's older vehicles retire, the need for a traditional gas pump diminishes, saving the city money.

"We realize about a $2 gallon of savings burning CNG over gasoline or diesel so we save $100,000 a year."

The city is promoting natural gas in hopes that more residents and businesses will hop on board.

Its first step is to make sure fueling options rise along with the demand for alternative vehicles.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are only six public CNG stations in Tulsa.

Consumers are also noticing the alternative options.

"Right now they're going for the CNG, the natural gas, and also hybrid for clean air," said Sami Khalaf, general manager of Don Carlton Honda.

This month 27 Hondas have been sold at the dealership. Ten of those are either a hybrid or CNG model.

"Natural gas, it takes $5 or $6 to fill up. The rumor is that the gas is going to hit $4.25 by the end of April," he said.

The city does own some CNG stations and plans to open them to the public within the year.