Fuels Fix, Summer 2015 by East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition

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BIG CYPRESS national preserve could have been an international airport, but...

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contents

EV Charging Sprouts Along Mississippi River | p. 8 Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition

Banking on Success | p. 29 Utah Clean Cities Coalition

Tri-Fuel Vehicle Series Released | p. 18 Lone Star Clean Fuels Alliance

UPS Receives Award from Louisiana Clean Fuels | p. 10 Louisiana Clean Fuels Coalition 4

Empire Green Fleets See Significant Savings | p. 32 Empire Clean Cities Coalition

Creating Safe Alt Fuel Deployments | p. 21 Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coalition

School System Turns to Propane | p. 24 Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition

US Gain Installs New CNG Fueling Station| p. 28 Triangle Clean Cities Coalition

Big Cypress National Preserve | p. 12 Southeast Florida Clean Cities Coalition

Louisiana Creates Buzz for Alt Fuels | p. 20 Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuels Partnership

contents cover story Big Cypress National Preserve Could Have Been an Airport, but...

| 12

advertisers index publisher / senior editor Jonathan G. Overly East TN Clean Fuels Coalition jonathan@etcleanfuels.org designer / editor Kristy Keel-Blackmon East TN Clean Fuels Coalition kristy@etcleanfuels.org Twitter: @fuelsfix Fuels Fix is published quarterly by the East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition in collaboration with the creative and groovy DOE Clean Cities coalition coordinators across the USA. Email info@etcleanfuels.org for additional information.

Alt Fuels Data Center BBI International Birch Studio Icom North America NC Clean Energy Tech. Ctr. REGI TruStar US Gas Vehicles

27 15, 30, 31, 33 22 17, 30 1, 30 1 11, 30 30

editor’s letter How do we know if we’re making a difference? On a day-to-day basis, it may be hard to gauge what kind of difference the Clean Cities programs are making. It’s easy to get distracted by the myriad of projects that we coordinators work on and miss the high-level impacts of those projects. Other times...it’s not so diffucult. Sometimes, we get a strong signal, making it clear that things are changing! Case and point: Kellie Walsh of Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition (GICCC) will be featured on Weekend Business Report, the nationally broadcast program seen on the FOX Business network! The report will focus on how GICCC is making alternative fuels and technologies a reality in Indiana by partnering with both governmental and private stakeholders to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, while creating green jobs and improving air quality in Indiana. This is huge! It’s not every day that an audience of a national news network gets to hear the Clean Cities mission! I encourage everyone to tune in this Sunday, July 12, 2015 at 5 p.m. EDT on the FOX Business News Network to hear what Kellie has to say. But, let us not forget to acknowledge the smaller victories that we have. Every gallon of E85 purchased, every mower converted to propane and every driver training makes a difference!

Jonathan Overly Editor

You can see GICCC’s promotional video here!

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Sprout Along Mississippi River in Minnesota Electric vehicle owners and supporters gathered on June 15th to celebrate the official opening of two electric vehicle charging stations at Fort Snelling State Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota. These charging stations are the result of a collaboration between Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (NRRA). The event celebrated a unique project that will add 11 charging sites along a 72-mile corridor of the NRRA. These new EVSE sites are part of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program and the National Park Service. NRRA is one of 27 national parks awarded a Clean Cities Initiative grant.

Bill Middlecamp (Nissan Leaf owner) provides an overview of using ChargePoint system to charge the DNR Chevy Volt.

Minnesotans regularly enjoy clean, fresh air and travel the state enjoying many outdoor activities. With the new sites along the Mississippi River Corridor, locals can travel with little range anxiety, knowing there is now a trend to add EVSE in parks and other tourist destinations. With more than 200 charging stations in Minnesota alone, EVs are quickly becoming a feasible, cost-effective, and environmentally conscious option for clean energy transportation needs. According to EV owner Bill Middlecamp, “What makes this unique is that it is a destination charging site—people who come here will stay for a couple hours, and that’s valuable charging time. It’s great!”

Left to right: Brian Levin (ChargePoint), Peter Hark (DNR), Lisa Thurstin (Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition), Susan Overson (Mississippi National River & Recreation Area/NPS), Jukka Kukkonen (PlugInConnect) Ribbon Cutting Fort Snelling State Park.

e-ride Industries (a MN-based manufacturer of electric utility vehicles) provided an EV for demonstration drives at the ribbon cutting.

Lisa Thurstin | Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition | lisa.thurstin@lung.org | 651-223-9568

UPS receives award from LOUISIANA CLEAN FUELS United Parcel Service (UPS), the largest user of renewable energy gas in the shipping industry, won the Louisiana Clean Fuel Leader Award for 2015 Clean Fuel Champion. Each year, Louisiana Clean Fuels (LCF) awards fleets that have shown great leadership in utilizing alternative fuels in LCF’s territory. “Louisiana Clean Fuels named UPS the 2015 Clean Fuel Champion for the company’s global leadership and commitment to alternative fuels,” said Ann Shaneyfelt, Executive Director of LCF. “Their use of biofuels and propane in Louisiana benefits both our local economy and our air quality.” UPS’s national fleet includes nearly 5,500 all-electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid, CNG, LNG, propane, 10

biomethane and light-weight, fuel-saving composite body vehicles. In Louisiana, UPS fueled 218 of their delivery vehicles with biodiesel and added 110 propane delivery vehicles to their fleet in 2014, making them the single largest user of alternative fuels in the state. UPS has been operating LNG, CNG and propane vehicles since the late 1990s and has ambitious plans to continue down the road of clean-burning fuels. Nationally, the company plans to log over one billion miles using alternative fuels by the end of 2017. Until then, Louisiana Clean Fuels will continue to shout UPS’s praises and promote this innovative company’s commitment to sustainability.

Louisiana Clean Fuels named UPS the 2015 Clean Fuel Champion for the company’s global leadership and commitment to alternative fuels. Their use of biofuels and propane in Louisiana benefits both our local economy and our air quality. -Ann Shaneyfelt

Left: Louisiana Senator David Vitter (second from left) visits UPS to congratulate them on their award. Right: Louisiana Clean Fuels presented UPS with a stateshaped award for being a Clean Fuels Champion.

Ann Shaneyfelt & Lauren Lambert-Tompkins | Louisiana Clean Fuels Coalition

info@louisianacleanfuels.org | 225-342-3476

cover story

Big Cypress National Preserve

Could Have Been an International Airport, But… In the late 1960s, conservationists and outdoorsmen alike opposed the ruination of this ecologically and culturally valuable land, ultimately ushering the preserve into the protective arms of the National Park Service. Since then, park rangers have maintained their role as stewards by implementing the National Park Service’s Green Parks Plan which strives to protect natural and cultural resources. After partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Clean Cities National Parks Initiative is gaining momentum. As Big Cypress deepens its commitment to the Climate Friendly Parks Program, it also deepens its relationship with the region’s Clean Cities program and their shared mission through the Initiative, which 12

supports transportation projects that educate park visitors about ways to reduce petroleum consumption. Southeast Florida Clean Cities Coalition was invited to speak about the “Greening Our Rides” component of the Green Parks Plan at a recent Climate Friendly Parks Workshop in Ochopee, Florida. The presentation featured methods for greening a fleet and opened the floor for discussion specifically tailored to Big Cypress National Preserve. The park already boasts a photovoltaic array to power its welcome center, but rangers agree that they need to take alternative fuel discussions a step further and apply appropriate alternatives to their fleet.

A lively brainstorming session yielded the following starting points for reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions: • More employee commuting options (such as telework and carpooling) • Public transportation options to access Big Cypress • Replacement of conventional mowers with propane- or electric-powered, as well as minimizing mowing areas • Electric car charging stations for visitors and potential future fleet use • Transition of all-terrain vehicles to utility task vehicles • Development of an idle-reduction campaign within the park

Click here to see a list of other Clean Cities National Parks Initiative Projects! These ideas will be further explored as the partnership between Big Cypress National Preserve and Southeast Florida Clean Cities Coalition continues to develop. Southeast Florida Clean Cities and Big Cypress look forward to becoming leaders in climate change response for Florida parks and preserves.

An infographic explaining the role of photovoltaic power at Big Cypress Welcome Center informs visitors about the solar panels.

sophia thordin | Southeast Florida Clean Cities Coalition | Intern_User@sfrpc.com

Partner Focus

A GMC Savana undergoes testing on SGS Environmental Testing Corporation’s dynomometer.

lightning hybrids: on a roll

Testing shows Lightning Hybrids technology provides consistent, significant emissions reductions Independent tests on Lightning Hybrids’ hydraulic hybrid system for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses show that the technology consistently and significantly reduced harmful vehicle emissions, regardless of OEM platform. The tests compared GM gasoline- and diesel-powered chassis with and without the Lightning Hybrids system activated. The same gasoline engine is used for some Freightliner Custom Chassis applications. Testing was done on both the Orange County Bus drive cycle and on the Braunschweig City drive cycle.

•

• Results showed: • The gasoline engine’s NOX output was 0.15 grams per mile on the OC Bus drive cycle with the 14

Lightning Hybrids system installed. This can be compared with the NOX output of a GM diesel engine on the same platform and drive cycle but without the Lightning Hybrids system, which emitted 4.23 grams per mile, making the hybridized gasoline vehicle an astounding 28 times less polluting than the equivalent conventional diesel vehicle. The NOX output for the same gasoline engine without the Lightning Hybrids system was 0.31 grams per mile—twice as polluting as the same vehicle with the hydraulic hybrid system installed. The LH-equipped vehicle saw 18% decreases in CO2 emissions versus the same baseline vehicle on both drive cycles.

Lightning Hybrids met or exceeded all California Air Resources Board (CARB) Heavy-Duty hybrid emissions certification standards using published HD HEV Certification Test Procedures. Beyond the emissions benefits, customers can expect up to 35% improvement in fuel economy with the Lightning Hybrids system, which uses hydraulic pumps and a lightweight accumulator system that stores braking energy and transfers it back to the wheels during acceleration. The technology also provides longer brake life, enhanced low-end torque and lower maintenance and operational costs. Earlier this year, the company received a full U.S. utility patent for the fourth generation of its parallel hybrid system, which operates without the use of batteries.

Receive a

“This system is the only emissions reduction solution available for new and retrofit platforms that will pay for itself through fuel savings within half the life of the vehicle, making it a must-have for fleet owners,” notes Tim Reeser, President and Co-Founder of Lightning Hybrids.

Article Courtesy of

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question of the month From May 2015

How can I improve my gas mileage while driving this summer? Whether you are taking a summer road trip or just running errands around town, there are things you can do to improve your fuel economy and save money on fuel in the summertime. You may notice an increase in your fuel economy as the weather gets warmer. This is because vehicle engines, transmissions, and other components take less time to warm up and summer gasoline blends can have slightly more energy per gallon than winter blends. However, if you use your air conditioning (AC) a lot or drive with the windows down, you might actually see your fuel economy drop. AC is the main contributor to reduced fuel economy in the summertime. In fact, using the AC can reduce a conventional vehicle’s fuel economy by as much as 25%, or even more if you are driving a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV). Driving with the windows down can also reduce fuel economy due to greater aerodynamic drag (wind resistance) on the vehicle. Though this has a small effect on fuel economy, aerodynamic drag is more apparent when driving at the highway speeds typical for road trips. The following tips can help you use the AC more efficiently and, therefore, improve fuel economy in the summer: •

Read the owner’s manual for detailed information on how your vehicle’s AC system works and how to use it efficiently.

•

Park your vehicle in shady areas or use a sunshade to keep the interior from getting too hot.

•

Do not use the AC more than needed. If you need to use the AC, avoid using the “max” setting for extended periods.

•

If you are driving at high speeds, use the AC instead of rolling down the windows. If the vehicle is too hot, you may lower the car windows to expel hot air for the first few minutes. Once the hot air has left the vehicle, switch to using the AC.

•

Avoid excessive idling. Idling can use a quarter to half a gallon of fuel per hour, and even more if the AC is on. Do not idle the vehicle to cool it down before a trip; most AC systems actually cool the vehicle faster while driving.

•

PEV owners, pre-cool your vehicle with the AC while still plugged in. Since PEVs use battery power to provide AC, it can drain the vehicle’s batteries and reduce the vehicle’s overall range. If you need to use the AC to cool down your PEV, try to do so while the vehicle is still charging.

The following tips should be used year-round to improve fuel economy: •

Use cruise control while driving on highways to maintain a consistent speed and conserve fuel.

•

Remove any unnecessary weight from the vehicle. Vehicles with heavier loads tend to have reduced fuel economy. An additional 100 pounds in your vehicle can reduce fuel economy by 1%.

•

Avoid transporting cargo on the rooftop of the vehicle. Traveling with cargo on the roof increases wind resistance and can significantly lower your fuel economy. Rear-mounted cargo has a much smaller effect on fuel economy than rooftop cargo.

•

Avoid aggressive driving. Aggressive driving (speeding, quick acceleration, and heavy braking) can reduce fuel economy by as much as 33% at highway speeds and 5% at city speeds. This informational video shows real-world effects of aggressive driving on fuel economy. Ensure your tires are properly inflated. Tires that are not inflated to the proper pressure can reduce fuel economy by 0.3% for every one pound per square inch (PSI) drop in pressure in all of the tires. Having your tires inflated to the proper pressure is also safer and can help tires last longer.

•

Pay attention to the speed limit. Not only is this a safe practice, but gas mileage tends to decrease when driving at speeds above 50 miles per hour.

For more information on how to improve your fuel economy, please refer to the following websites from FuelEconomy.gov: Fuel Economy in Hot Weather Gas Mileage Tips Keeping Your Vehicle in Shape

Utilize a DOMESTIC Green Fuel  Power & Torque better or equal to gasoline!!  Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20%  Extended service intervals  Vehicle Warranty remains in effect

Tel: (248)573-4934 www.icomnorthamerica.com info@icomnorthamerica.com

Superior Transportation Solutions has unveiled a new G-Series line of CNG- or propane autogas-powered cab forward trucks manufactured by Greenkraft Inc.

Superior Transportation Solutions releases tri-fuel vehicle series Superior Transportation Solutions (STS) of Austin, Texas has unveiled a new G-Series line of CNG- or propane autogas-powered cab forward trucks manufactured by Greenkraft Inc. of Southern California. You may have seen the unique Greenkraft demonstrator with gasoline, CNG and propane autogas fuel systems— effectively making it tri-fuel—at the ACT Expo in Dallas. STS is Greenkraft’s exclusive distributor for Texas. The cab forward trucks are now available with 6.0 or 8.0 liter GM engines with CNG fuel capacities ranging from 20-60 GGEs.

All models are certified by CARB and EPA for both CNG and propane. Superior Transportation Solutions is an active supporting member of the Lone Star Clean Fuels Alliance Clean Cities Coalition serving Central Texas. For more information contact: Indra Gohil Superior Transportation Solutions 512-587-7214 Indra.gohil@superiorts.net www.superiorts.net

GM’s 6.0 liter engine powers Greenkraft trucks up to 17,500 pound GVW with 6-speed transmissions or up to 19,500 pound GVW with an Allison 2000 series transmission. GM’s 8.0 liter engine powers their 26,001 -33,000 pound GVW vehicles also with Allison transmission.

Stacy neef | Lone Star Clean Fuels Alliance | stacy.neef@lonestarcfa.org | 512-773-8794

get to know

u e l a ll f e iv t a n r e e s e a lt

s ta r s !

in Each edition this year, Drive Shaft will introduce you to Clean Cities coordinators and our working partners of all kinds across the U.S.!

Alicia cox

ann shaneyfelt

christine heshmati

Compasionate, diligent, motivated

Resourceful, Creative, Collaborative

Enthusiastic, Determined, Progressive

Make: Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition

Make: Louisiana Clean Fuels

Make: Southeast Florida Clean Cities Coalition

model: Executive Director year: Working with alternative fuels since 2010 stat: My free time is spent hiking, biking, camping, skiing...simply exploring the beautiful place I’m fortunate enough to call home (Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem), with my husband and dog, Gus, by my side. learn more: www.ytcleanenergy.org

model: Executive Director year: Working with alternative fuels since 2012 stat: Southern, progressive mom, bibliophile and sucker for a cause. Fuels up at local coffee shops and farm-to-table eateries. City or the mountains? Both! Coffee or tea? Don’t make me pick. Cats or dogs? Adopt, don’t shop!

model: Coordinator year: Working with alternative fuels since 2010 stat: Daytripping in my PEV learn more: floridagoldcoastcleancities.com

learn more: louisianacleanfuels.org Tweet @lacleanfuels

#WomenInSTEM

louisiana creates buzz for alt fuels

Fleets, Regulatory Agencies, Fuel and Fleet Providers come together for the 2015 Louisiana Alternative Fuels Conference & Expo Louisiana’s largest, alternative fuels conference drew over 120 attendees to the Capital Park Welcome Center in Baton Rouge on May 22, 2015. Hosted by Louisiana Clean Fuels in collaboration with the Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership and sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, the 2015 Louisiana Alternative Fuels Conference & Expo featured 23 speakers including a keynote address by Penske’s Director of Alternative Energy, Matt Krasney, a plenary session featuring Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne and a plenary address by Steve Saltzgiver, Vice President of Fleet for Republic Services. The event also included an engaging exhibit hall, an outdoor vehicle expo and a ride-and-drive with an all-electric Nissan Leaf.

information from the Propane Education Research Council, the Louisiana Joint Emergency Services Training Center and NGV Solutions on alternative fuel safety training. Jeff Esfeld, Director of National Fleet Sales and Business Development for VIA Motors, made a spectacle when his all-electric van powered the Ninja Snowballs food truck—lights, air conditioning, radio, television, ice machine and all!

In breakout sessions, industry specialists and experienced fleet managers provided practical insights to implementing clean fuel projects. The event covered a wide array of alternative fuel options including electric vehicles, propane, compressed and liquefied natural gas and biofuels as well as included

To view additional photos from the conference or for information on Louisiana clean transportation projects and upcoming events, please visit the websites for the Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership: cleanfuelpartnership.org and Louisiana Clean Fuels: louisianacleanfuels.org.

Thank you to our generous sponsors who made the event possible including the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Republic Services, Atmos Energy, Solar Alternatives, CleanFuel USA, Amerigas and VIA!

Above left: Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne views a natural gas vehicle at the event. Above right: Ninja Snowballs food truck connects to a VIA Motors van for power thanks to VIA’s Jeff Esfeld.

rebecca otte | Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership | rotte@norpc.org | 504-483-8513 20

Creating Safe, Alternative Fuel Deployments in Mid-America Is safety permitting getting you down? This month, Kansas City Clean Cities kicks off “Safe Alternative Fuel Deployments in Mid-America” (the SAF-D Project) with the fire and rescue training institutes at University of Kansas and University of Missouri Extension. The SAF-D Project will develop and initiate flexible AFV safety training curricula to implement into state fire training programs. Frustrated with onesie-twosie trainings with limited impact, we began discussing with our state fire marshals how we might, instead, integrate transportation alternative fuel safety into

existing training series. Having been introduced to the state fire schools, we now plan to create both a classroom curriculum and a comprehensive, online course. Using the national network of state fire and rescue training directors, we also intend to replicate the training curricula into state schools across the U.S. that wish to incorporate alternative fuel safety into their regular training programs. With local safety objections soon off the table, we look forward to faster fleet deployment!

kelly gilbert | Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coalition | Kelly@MetroEnergy.org | 816-531-7283

clean cities tv Clean Cities TV is the educational video channel of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program, which advances the nation’s economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local actions to reduce petroleum consumption in transportation.

Sacramento Powers Up with Electric Vehicles

Norwich Clean Cities Draws Attention to Idling Wisely

youtube.com/Cleancitiestv

alabama school system turns to propane

Starting in the 2015-2016 school year, students attending Alabama’s Tuscaloosa City Schools may notice a change on their daily commute to and from school—they’ll actually be able to hear each other while riding in cleaner and quieter propane-fueled school buses. The Tuscaloosa City Board of Education recently approved the purchase of 63 new IC Bus, CE Series, school buses powered by propane from Southland International. Tuscaloosa City Schools is the second system in Alabama to switch to propane-fueled buses, following Mobile County Schools’ purchase of 30 for the 2014-2015 school year. Jimmy Boone, director of transportation for Tuscaloosa City Schools, said it was time to replace the system’s current fleet because most of the buses are more than 15 years old. “We’ve been using diesel buses forever,” Boone said. “ ... Propane is a cleaner-burning fuel than diesel. It’s considered a clean fuel because it has almost no greenhouse gas emissions. (Propane buses) are also much quieter. In fact, on average, when comparing

a regular diesel school bus to a propane school bus, a propane bus is 11 sound decibels quieter. That will benefit some of our special needs children.” Ed Lavigne, chief financial officer for the Tuscaloosa City Schools, said that while the propane buses cost more than their diesel counterparts, the current propane fueling costs of just 79 cents per gallon compares very favorably to diesel costs at the $2.39 per gallon level. With such a steep price difference in fuel, LaVigne said the system will save an estimated average of $116,280 per year in fuel costs. Over five years, the estimated cost savings will be about $581,398, but it could be more. “The federal government has a Clean Fuel Rebate program that reimburses you 50-cents-a-gallon when you buy clean fuel and use it,” LaVigne said. “If the federal government reauthorizes the Clean Fuel Rebate again this year, the 50-cents-a-gallon rebate could bring the cost of fuel for the City down to just 29 cents per gallon when fueling the school buses with propane. That’s a win-win for everyone!”

mark bentley | Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition | mark@alabamacleanfuels.org | 205-402-2755 24

Partner Focus

free, live webinar from

Article Courtesy of

fueleconomy.gov

FuelEconomy.gov, the official source for fuel economy information, is hosting a live webinar to showcase some of its tools and information. FuelEconomy.gov is a consumer-oriented site aimed at helping the public make informed car-buying decisions and achieve the best possible fuel economy from the vehicles they own. The site provides official EPA fuel economy estimates on vehicles from 1984 to the present, along with fuel economy tips, cost calculators and other useful information. The webinar will highlight FuelEconomy.gov’s Find a Car feature, which allows consumers to search for and compare fuel economy, costs, environmental impacts and other information for up to four vehicles at

a time. It will also demonstrate several cost calculators. The Hybrid Calculator and My Plug-in Hybrid Calculator will be particularly useful for consumers considering a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, as will fuel economy tips specific to hybrids and plug-in cars. The webinar will also present fuel economy tips for conventional vehicles, including tips for operation in both hot and cold weather. To access the live webinar, visit the Clean Cities webinar page on August 6th at 1:00 p.m. EDT. • www.afdc.energy.gov/cleancities/webinars

Partner Focus

Jim Coker (center) shows one of the converted propane mowers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

STILL ON THE CUTTING EDGE...

But Even Sharper

In 2007, an article entitled “On the Cutting Edge” was written by Brian Richesson of LPGAS magazine. It covered pioneer Jim Coker’s quest of introducing the first propanepowered commercial lawn mowers. That was just three years into Jim’s journey to change the way people look at commercial mowing, which predominantly runs on gasoline. Within two years, Jim started the Metro Lawn Program to support many consumers who wanted to reduce emissions and foreign oil consumption. “We provided conversion kits and training, education on propane’s benefits and the infrastructure—all with commercial pricing. This made it an easy switch for the consumer” says Coker. One of the first success stories on propane-powered mowers came from Common Grounds Landscaping in Powell, Tennessee. “Being a native of east Tennessee, I wanted to have a successful company using propane mowers here in my hometown. John Watson, owner of Common Grounds Landscaping, has now been using commercial propane mowers for over six years. John says he will never go back to conventional, gasoline mowers because propane saves 26

money on fuel and maintenance costs. “I also like that propane pollutes less and reduces foreign oil consumption,” says John. Since then, the City of Knoxville, Tennessee and Smoky Mountains National Park have converted mowers to propane with the help of Coker. Now, Jim has a new venture that is even sharper: precision mowing in the golf and sports turf industry. He has joined R&R Products to introduce the first, commercial, propanepowered golf and sports turf mowing equipment in an industry that predominantly uses diesel engines. “It seemed to be the natural transition from commercial mowing to golf and sports turf mowing,” says Coker. You cannot convert diesel engines to propane like you can with gasoline engines, so we needed to have equipment for the golf industry and sports complexes.” The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has supported Coker’s work by granting money to place four pieces of equipment at eight Audubon International

certified golf courses across the country. The program will monitor the use of the R&R propane mowers for one year and collect data for additional research. Coker has no intention of stopping here. In conjunction with R&R Products, they have started a new division called Propane Powered Systems, which will provide propane conversion kits for many applications. Jim says, “We are working with other engine manufacturers and considering any and all applications where small engines are used.” This could reduce millions of gallons of foreign oil consumption and pollution, proving that Jim Coker is still “on the cutting edge”…but even sharper. To get more information, contact Jim Coker at jcoker@rrproducts.com or 865-850-2277. Article Courtesy of

Do you know about the that are

tools available to you?

Check out the Alternative Fuel Data Center’s Tools page to help assist fleets, fuel providers, and stakeholders. Click here to get started!

US GAIN Installs New

CNG Fueling Station

The Triangle Clean Cities Coalition recently celebrated the installation of a new GAIN CNG fueling station in Sanford, North Carolina. This state of the art, publically open facility will provide CNG fuel for both fleets and personal vehicles. This fueling station is one of five CNG stations that will be built in partnership with Core-Mark, a leading national marketer in the convenience retail industry. In the first year of operation, it is anticipated that this station will displace the equivalent of 550,000 gallons of diesel fuel and up to 1.5 million gallons over the next five years. The ribbon cutting event was well attended, and speakers included Secretary Donald van der Vaart of NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Representative Brad Salmon of the North Carolina

General Assembly, as well as other local dignitaries and industry representatives. This station helps to establish the State of North Carolina as a leader in the installation of CNG fueling infrastructure within the region, enabling a clean burning fuel to be readily accessible for both fleet and personal applications. Joining 23 other CNG stations in the state, fleet operators now have a broad network of fueling infrastructure available to them, making the transition to CNG fuel a seamless and economically conducive option. For additional information on this station and ribbon cutting event, contact Mary Sell at msell@tjcog.org or 919-558-9400.

mary sell | Triangle Clean Cities Coalition | msell@tjcog.org | 919-558-9400

Bank of Utah is committed to a healthy, happy community.

Banking on

success

Bank of Utah, one of the largest, community banks in the nation, was established in Ogden, Utah in 1952. The bank has been dedicated to providing quality financial services with honor, respect and integrity. Over the last 63 years, Bank of Utah has grown to 13 full-service branches, with over 300 employees and $700 million in assets, becoming a major financial force in the Utah markets they serve. The bank’s commitment to the community does not stop there. Bank of Utah has joined several other companies in the state in encouraging customers and employees to consider the impact their driving behaviors have on local air quality. Notably, they are asking customers in their drive-thru lanes to “Stop Idling Start Saving.” This effort was supported through the National Clean Cities’ IdleBox Toolkit, which provided logos and templates for printed material. The bank has posted signage in all of their branch drive-thru lanes, encouraging drivers who will be waiting longer than 10 seconds to complete their transactions to turn off their vehicles.

Idle Free Awareness has been a growing movement in the state of Utah since Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County mayors partnered with Utah Clean Cities Coalition in 2009 and declared the first week of September Idle Free Awareness Week. Idle Free has become an annual, month-long, statewide campaign that includes over 40 mayors and the governor. However, through the efforts of companies like the Bank of Utah, the Idle Free campaign has become part of everyday life. Bank of Utah has also implemented other smart transportation initiatives. Their video conferencing policy for employees is estimated to have saved over a quarter million dollars in company spending and 23,000 gallons of gasoline. The Bank also encourages trip planning, regular car maintenance, public transportation and being aware of the air quality forecast before making transportation choices. The Bank of Utah is a great role model in their community and in the financial sector both as an economic and an environmental driver.

irene rizza | Utah Clean Cities Coalition | irene.rizza@utahcleancities.org 29

FUEL WHAT WHAT MATTERS MATTERS

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empire green fleets see

SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS Empire Clean Cities announces its 2014 Empire Green Fleet certified class. From left: Kevin Kraft, Empire Clean Cities; Juan Corcino, Manhattan Beer; James Reinish, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Michael Muzik, Baldor Specialty Foods; Steven Levy, Empire Clean Cities and National Biodiesel Board

Since its launch in May of 2013, Empire Clean Cities’ Empire Green Fleet (EGF) program has successfully completed the certification process for nine fleets in and around New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley. Participation includes fleets from both the public and private sectors, ranging across multiple industries from farms to food and beverage distribution companies to municipal public works fleets. The EGF program serves fleets with as few as seven vehicles to those with more than 2,000. Thus far, Empire Green Fleet participants have shown significant reductions of vehicle emissions and petroleum consumption. Overall, EGF-certified fleets show on average a 20% reduction in petroleum consumption over conventional fleets of the same size, saving an aggregated value of 846,223 equivalent gallons of pe32

troleum annually. Additionally, the fleets are realizing significant cost savings estimated at $2.38 million. While the fleets have managed to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 13% from year to year compared to conventional fleet counterparts in the industry and NOx emissions by 28%, some individual member fleets have achieved GHG reductions of as high as 30% compared to conventional fleets. These reductions have been achieved through the adoption of alternative fuels as well as utilizing fuelefficient policies such as idle reduction technologies, utilizing route management systems, driver-training and adding diesel emission filters. Emissions of NOx and GHGs have been most significantly reduced as a result of fleets upgrading to newer vehicles, both conventional and alternative fuel vehicles (AFV). A

combination of AV adoption and substituting biofuels for conventional fuels has accounted for the most significant portion of reductions in petroleum consumption by Empire Green Fleets. With four additional fleets ranging in size from 8,000 to 25,000 vehicles currently being analyzed, the Empire Green Fleets program is growing its geographic reach and technical capability. If you are interested in becoming an Empire Green Fleet to improving your fleet’s emissions portfolio and bottom line, contact us for more information at info@empirecleancities.org or 212-839-7728.

Jared Talkin | Empire Clean Cities Coalition | jared@empirecleancities.org | 212-839-4382

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Big Cypress National Preserve is making significant strides to do their part in protecting the environment and its many ecosystems, including fauna like the highly endangered Florida Panthrer (NPS Photo by Rodney Cammauf). 34