| Vol. 12, No. 3 - July 2008 |
Clean Cities Now is the official publication of Clean Cities, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Program, designed to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector by advancing the use of alternative fuel vehicles, idle reduction technologies, hybrid electric vehicles, fuel blends, and fuel economy.
General Motors Rewards 56 Clean Cities Coalitions
General Motors (GM) awarded $10,000 to Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) as the top-performing Clean Cities coalition in the company's 2008 Clean Cities Rewards Program. The award was presented at the Alternative Fuels and Vehicles National Conference and Expo in May. Fifty-six coalitions received awards totalling $84,000 based on E85 vehicle sales and infrastructure installation, participation in GM-sponsored functions, and involvement in GM-certified alternative fuel vehicle dealers. For the second year in a row, Chicago Area Clean Cities received the second highest honor, a $5,000 award. New York City and Lower Hudson Valley, Pittsburgh Region, and Central Indiana Clean Cities each received $3,000. In addition, 12 coalitions each received $2,000 awards, 33 coalitions received $1,000 each, and six received $500 each. The goal of the GM program is to reward coalitions that are truly "moving the needle" toward E85 and CNG vehicles sales. See 2008 Clean Cities Reward Program (PDF 239 KB) for a complete list of awardees. Download Adobe Reader.
Central Indiana CC Hosts Annual Legislative Breakfast
Central Indiana Clean Cities Alliance (CICCA) hosted its fifth annual legislative breakfast in January and invited the state's 150 legislators and staff to attend. The purpose of the event, held at the Indiana State House in Indianapolis, was to educate local lawmakers on alternative fuel and advanced vehicle technologies being deployed statewide. The breakfast featured a table-top exposition that allowed CICCA stakeholders to showcase their products and projects and answer legislator questions. According to CICCA Executive Director Kellie Walsh, the event "enables CICCA to position itself as the neutral source of information about alternative fuels with our state leaders." The breakfast is just one part of CICCA's outreach to legislators. "Each of the legislators receives our newsletter and notices of our workshops," Walsh says. "They come to us for research and clarification on the important issues surrounding alternative fuels."
Northern Colorado CC Celebrates Better Cars, Smarter Fleets
Educating the public on alternative fuels while having fun was the goal of Northern Colorado Clean Cities' (NCCC) Better Cars, Smarter Fleets Expo held April 18 in honor of Earth Day. NCCC partnered with the Poudre Learning Center, Knowledge Quest Academy, and the Colorado Department of Transportation to host the event in Greeley, Colorado. The expo combined professional workshops on cleaner fuel options with activities for the 85 elementary students who attended. Attendees were updated on new area E85 stations and on the CNG buses that will soon be in service in nearby Fort Collins. In addition, NCCC stakeholders performed kid-focused demonstrations on general ecology awareness, air quality, alternative fuels, and clean vehicle concepts.
CMAQ Funds Granted for Michigan Alternative Fuel Infrastructure
Ann Arbor Area Clean Cities (AAACC) received a $232,000 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant to fund three public E85 pumps and two public biodiesel pumps in Washtenaw County, Michigan, in addition to one private E85 pump for the City of Ann Arbor municipal fleet. Grant funds will pay for 80% of the infrastructure installation costs, with 20% provided by the station owners. The project will double the number of public biofuels refueling sites in Washtenaw County and increase Michigan's public E85 refueling capacity by nearly 30%, making the county the leading market for biofuels in the state. According to Sean Reed, AAACC coordinator, typical CMAQ grant applications in Michigan have been for signal timing projects, lane expansion, and bike paths. "This is the first time the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has supported the development of biofuels infrastructure with CMAQ funding in Michigan." The federal CMAQ grant will be administered through MDOT with the sponsorship of the City of Ann Arbor. A $110,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth will help provide incentives for E85 infrastructure conversions statewide. In addition, project partnership with the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan allows for incentives of up to $5,000 per site with a minimum of 18 new E85 locations projected for development during 2008.
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Sunnyvale Served by CNG Refuse Haulers
California-based Specialty Solid Waste and Recycling (SSWR) is replacing its diesel refuse haulers with those that run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Of its fleet of 37 vehicles that provide trash collection service for the City of Sunnyvale, California, 30 are powered by CNG. SSWR made a corporate decision in partnership with the City of Sunnyvale to adopt CNG to meet the conditions of the California Air Resources Board refuse rule, which requires particulate filter traps on diesel trucks. Fleets made up of 50% or more alternative fuel vehicles were exempted from the diesel rule until January 1, 2010. "Liquid natural gas was less widely available in California, so we looked to compressed natural gas," says Jerry Nabhan, SSWR general manager. Good pipeline gas pressure at the company's Santa Clara site allowed SSWR to build and operate a CNG refueling station that is accessible to the public 24 hours a day. The station installation cost approximately $500,000, which was partially offset with $200,000 provided by the California Energy Commission. SSWR also receives grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) that help cover the $60,000 incremental costs of a CNG truck over a diesel one. With current CNG prices around $2.70 and the grants from TFCA, SSWR estimates that the payback period is about a year and a half per truck. The CNG refuse vehicles, which feature Cummins Westport 8.9-liter engines and Autocar chassis on Heil or Labrie bodies, drive 275,000 route miles per year and use 172,000 gasoline gallon equivalents of CNG annually. According to Nabhan, there were some initial concerns about truck performance that proved to be unfounded. "Our city is relatively flat so the trucks have had no performance problems," Nabhan says. "With today's price of diesel at $4.88 and the price of natural gas at $2.70, we're glad we made the choice to go with natural gas." Nabhan says his drivers like the natural gas trucks because there's no diesel smell, and the trucks are much quieter. Maintenance on the CNG trucks is a bit different than on diesel trucks, Nabhan says. For example, each truck's six spark plugs are replaced every six months at a cost of about $400 per truck. In addition, the trucks are tested for leaks every 90 days and tanks are pressure tested every three years. "We're proud of our decision to go with natural gas. It's been good for our business and good for the community," Nabhan says. Interested visitors from several California communities as well as New York, Taiwan, and France have visited Sunnyvale to learn about SSWR's success with CNG refuse vehicles. Contact Jerry Nabhan, SSWR general manager, 408-566-1809.
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Alternative Fueling Station Locator
The AFDC's improved Alternative Fueling Station Locator now features a straight-forward searching system and improved mapping capabilities that utilize the Google Maps application. Station locations are indicated using easily recognizable colored icons.
Interactive Clean Cities Map
With a click to a coalition's name on the updated Coalition Locations map, users can obtain coordinator contact information, coalition designation date and geographical boundaries, and a link to a coalition's Web site.
AFDC Emissions Section
The AFDC's new Emissions section details pollutants and their impact on human health and the environment, compares alternative fuel emissions with those of their conventional counterparts, and explains the methodology used to compare vehicle emissions.
ASTM Votes to Approve Specifications for Biodiesel
The National Biodiesel Board announced in June the vote of the ASTM International D02 Main Committee to approve a trio of long-awaited ASTM specifications for biodiesel blends. Visit What's New to follow developments in a variety of alternative fuel technologies.
State Assessment for Biomass Resources
The Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center's Assessment for Biomass Resources section offers detailed information on biofuel resources and use across the United States. Its state-by-state interactive maps show concentrations of conventional and biofuels use, ethanol and biodiesel stations and production plants, and biofuels production capacities.
Federal Tax Incentives Encourage Alternative Fuel Use
The maze of available federal tax incentives is summarized in this four-page Clean Cities fact sheet. Credits are available for alternative fuels, biodiesel, and renewable diesel users, sellers, and producers. Read Federal Tax Incentives Encourage Alternative Fuel Use (PDF 758 KB). Download Adobe Reader.
Flexible Fuel Vehicles: Providing a Renewable Fuel Choice
Published by Clean Cities, this two-page fact sheet summarizes the components that make up a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) and answers questions about FFV performance and costs, the benefits of using E85, and how to locate E85 stations. Read Flexible Fuel Vehicles: Providing a Renewable Fuel Choice (PDF 312 KB). Download Adobe Reader.
Biodiesel Blends
This concise Clean Cities document describes the performance and availability of biodiesel blends, as well as the long-term effects of using B20 in standard diesel-powered vehicles. Read Biodiesel Blends (PDF 272 KB). Download Adobe Reader.
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A Strong Energy Portfolio for a Strong America
Energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy will mean a stronger economy, a cleaner environment, and greater energy independence for America. Working with a wide array of state, community, industry and university partners, the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy invests in a diverse portfolio of energy technologies.
For more information contact: EERE Information Center 1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463) www.eere.energy.gov
Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademarks, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof.
DOE/GO-102008-2640
July 2008
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