GE Purchase of Dresser Underscores Rising Role of Natural Gas

GE, with its acquisition of Dresser Inc.for $3 billion, which was announced yesterday, will take ownership of Waukesha natural-gas fired engines. Today those engines are used for generating electricity and other industrial applications. But with GE the size that it is, you have to wonder if they aren’t also considering the possibility that natural gas engines will begin to replace gasoline engines in many applications including trucks and perhaps even cars. Gas is less than half the cost of gasoline in terms of BTU and is widely available in the U.S. as compared to oil, which is largely imported. Natural gas engines tend to be far more efficient and generate far fewer greenhouse gases. Paccar has gas-fueled engines on some of its trucks.