California's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program
NREL supports the California Energy Commission (CEC) in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of California's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP), created by Assembly Bill 118 in 2007. Under this statute, CEC works to develop and deploy alternative and renewable transportation fuel and vehicle technologies—including electricity, natural gas, biomethane, propane, hydrogen, ethanol, renewable diesel, and biodiesel.
Technology and Market Assessments
To help CEC identify the most innovative, promising, and emergent clean transportation technologies in California, NREL provides technical, environmental, and commercialization assessments of the alternative and renewable fuels, vehicle technologies, and supporting fueling infrastructure currently in existence and under development.
Plug-in Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Planning
NREL developed the California Statewide Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Assessment to establish a framework for how to achieve California's Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Action Plan goal of deploying sufficient charging infrastructure to support one million ZEVs by 2020. The assessment report also articulates CEC's conclusions and recommendations regarding plug-in electric vehicle infrastructure planning, provides guidance to local communities and regions, contributes to state-level policy, and conveys CEC's intentions in supporting public infrastructure plans. View California Statewide PEV Infrastructure Assessment, presented at the Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Infrastructure Site Selection Workshop on June 10, 2015, to learn how the statewide assessment provides a framework for understanding the potential energy (kWh) and demand (MW) impacts of PEV market growth; how PEV travel simulations can inform the role of public infrastructure in future market growth; and how ongoing assessment updates and Alternative Fuels Data Center outreach can help coordinate stakeholder planning and decision making and reduce uncertainties.
Assessment of Time and Cost to Attain 100 Hydrogen Refueling Stations in California
CEC contracted with NREL to analyze the time and cost needed to attain 100 hydrogen refueling stations in California. The Joint Agency Staff Report on Assembly Bill 8: Assessment of Time and Cost Needed to Attain 100 Hydrogen Refueling Stations in California is the first joint report by the CEC and the California Air Resources Board on how much time and public incentive funding through the ARFVTP will be needed to reach the 100 station milestone in California in accordance with Assembly Bill 8.
Program Benefits
To strengthen the program and aid in its implementation, NREL provides expert analysis about the benefits of ARFVTP investments in emerging fuels and vehicle technologies. NREL also analyzes the effectiveness of ARFVTP investments in addressing economic, environmental, energy security, and petroleum reduction goals and in attaining the goals of California's climate change policies. Read the 2014 draft project report Program Benefits Guidance: Analysis of Benefits Associated With Projects and Technologies Supported by the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program.
Market Impact
To help develop metrics of market impact potential, NREL conducts integrated market impact assessments across the range of vehicle and fuel technologies supported by ARFVTP. These assessments build on techno-economic analyses and integrate technical and market data collected from ongoing ARFVTP projects.
More Information
For more information about NREL's work with California's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, contact Marc Melaina.
