HARRISBURG — State House Republicans want Pennsylvania to be the first state in the nation to convert its state fleet to natural gas-powered vehicles and build natural gas stations at every other stop along the turnpike.

It's an effort to tap into resources of Pennsylvania's gas supply in the Marcellus shale formation, one of the "largest natural gas fields in the world," said House GOP Policy Chairman Stan Saylor of York County.

The move to natural gas-powered vehicles is a major component of a Republican plan called "Marcellus Works" that lawmakers debuted at a Capitol news conference.

It comes as the House and Senate attempt to reach agreement over the next three weeks to levy a severance tax on natural gas extraction on the Marcellus shale.

Saylor said the plan is not a House GOP statement against a severance tax. Each member will decide whether or not to support that tax if it comes to a vote, he said.

"Pennsylvania has an abundant supply of natural gas," Saylor said. "By creating incentives to use that natural gas, we will increase demand and, as a result, we will help create thousands of jobs not only in the natural gas industry but also in the related fields like the infrastructure, manufacturing and service sectors."

As the minority party, House Republicans can't call a vote on the bills. But House Republican lawmakers' votes will be critical to House Democrats' efforts to pass a severance tax.

Saylor said he would start with converting the state's 16,000-vehicle fleet to natural gas vehicles. House Republicans earlier this year called for reducing the fleet, but Saylor claimed the proposals do not conflict. He said the first conversions could occur with 1,600 to 1,800 vehicles that need to be replaced.

It costs about $10,000 to convert a car to a natural gas fuel supply and it's about the same differential for a new natural gas-powered vehicle, GOP staffers said.

Saylor was unable to produce figures on how much the state would need to invest in conversion before reaping what he said would be a $1 per gallon savings on using natural gas as fuel.

The plan calls for providing state grants to local governments and transit systems to convert their vehicles to natural gas. It would enable private companies to receive tax credits for switching to natural gas power.

Saylor could not estimate how much state revenue would be used to provide the grants and tax credits.

About a dozen House Republicans joined Saylor at the news conference, but none of them made remarks.

Buck