State and local leaders joined Utah Clean Cities at the Utah Women's Expo Friday in Sandy to declare November Alternative Fuel Vehicle Awareness Month.

Lt. Gov. Greg Bell, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey, Provo Mayor Lewis Billings and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon asked Utahns to consider alternatives to gasoline for the good of the nation and their own air quality. The U.S. Department of Energy has set a goal of reducing oil imports by 1 million gallons a day by 2020, and switching fuels is one solution.

"Switching from a conventional vehicle that runs on gasoline to an alternative-fuel vehicle that runs on domestically produced compressed natural gas can significantly improve fuel efficiency, reduce dependency on foreign oil and help air quality in Utah," Bell said.

Corroon said natural gas, especially affordable in Utah, is his choice when at work.

"Our CNG vehicles costs about $6 to fill up, so I like to use it on most county business in our valley," he said.

Brandon Loomis