2015 EDITION II,VOL. 26
TENNESSEE
CLEAN FUELS ADVISOR
BRINGING ALTERNATIVE FUELS TO THE FOREFRONT IN TENNESSEE
A New Resource for Workplace Charging in Tennessee The EV Everywhere Workplace Charging Challenge is a program headed by the U.S. Department of Energy that encourages employers of all sizes across the country to offer workplace charging for their employees.
Workplaces that choose to participate receive national recognition from the Department of Energy and can also get technical assistance and free resources to help make the program successful. For instance, participants will have access to important documents that cover working Now it its second full year, the program’s with ADA compliance, charging station bid solicitations and DC fast chargers. initial goal was to increase the number of employers that offer EV charging From the current pool of workplace tenfold by 2018. charging participants, 90% of respondents say that their charging stations are fully Over 300 work sites across the country occupied at least five days per week. have signed up for the program and are promoting cleaner transportation If your work site in Tennessee is interested within their organizations. in providing EV charging for employees and receiving assistance, please visit www. We are happy to announce that Tennessee Clean Cities coalitions have DriveElectricTN.org or contact Jonathan Overly at jonathan@etcleanfuels.org or joined forces with the program, and a 865-974-3625. number of partners within the state will soon be sharing information on workplace charging with Tennessee businesses through a new resource: www.DriveElectricTN.org.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE A New Resource for Workplace 1 Charging in Tennessee New Solar CNG Station in West Tennessee
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Diversity is Key to Growth of Alternative Fuels
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Farewell to the Comiskeys
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In Memory of Paul Rice
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The Price is Right...for E85 Who’s Who in Biofuels
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Did You Know?
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Visit w w w .DriveElect ricTN.o rg
This site explains, in simple terms, the different kinds of electric vehicles and charging equipment as well as the basics of a workplace charging program. There is also a link to join the Tennessee Workplace Charging Partnership and get assistance with your own program. Not only is this a chance for employers to do something good for their employees and the community, but it also exemplifies strong corporate leadership and dedication to sustainability. The process of becoming a part of the Challenge involves just three steps: 1) Commit to developing a Partner Plan which details the charging program, 2) Take action to implement the Partner Plan and install charging stations and 3) Share milestones of the program and share best practices.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory has already signed on as a Workplace Charging Challenge partner. They have extensive EV charging stations accompanied by a solar canopy. Photo courtesy of Scott Curran, ORNL.
The Tennessee Clean Fuels Advisor is a publication of the three Clean Cities coalitions in Tennessee which are part of the U.S. DOE Clean Cities Program. This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee.
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TENNESSEE CLEAN FUELS
New Solar CNG Station in West Tennessee When General Manager of the Gibson County Utility District Pat Riley decided the time was the right to build a publicly accessible compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling station, he wanted to make it special and be sensitive to the environment. Pat, a self-proclaimed “Energy Warrior” who has been promoting CNG vehicles and CNG refueling for the past five years through the Tennessee Gas Association, decided it was time to build
something that had not been done in Tennessee and build an all-encompassing station with an eye on the environment and sustainability. What resulted is the first solar CNG station in the state, perhaps even the nation. The electrical design includes a 40-panel (250W each) 10kW solar array to supply part of the site’s computer, controls and lighting requirements, plus a natural
gas genset to supply most of station’s high-voltage power requirements for the compressors. The electrical interconnections and controls are unique, utilizing the electrical supply as back-up power instead of the other way around as utilized in most back-up power systems. As such, the station will be almost completely self-producing and as “uninterruptable” as possible on the electric power supply side.
FAST FACT:
Tennessee has several new CNG stations coming in the near future! Keep your eyes peeled for these stations: • Memphis: MLGW station (open) • Newport: ampCNG station • Knoxville: KUB station • Knoxville: Clean Energy station (LNG + CNG capabilities) • Ringgold, GA: Fuel-a-New station (Mach Fuels)
The ribbon cutting event at the CNG station was a great success. Solar panels help to make this the greenest CNG station in all of Tennessee!
View our photos from this spring’s “CNG Across Tennessee Rally” at flickr.com/photos/etcleanfuels/albums.
Diversity is Key to Growth of Alternative Fuels in Tennessee Plug-In Electric Vehicles 4% Hybrids <1% Propane 1% Fuel Economy <1%
E85 23%
Idle Reduction 1%
Biodiesel 13%
LNG 49%
CNG 9%
Here is the breakdown of Tennessee fleets’ alternative fuel use from coalition reporting in 2014. We hope to work with you as we continue to use cleaner fuels and diversify Tennessee’s fuel portfolio.
3 Tennessee clean fuels
Farewell to the Comiskeys As you may know, Middle Tennessee coordinator Atha Comiskey has been on extended leave to assist her husband, Bart, with medical needs. After much thought, they have determined that it is best for their family if they remain in Florida, and so Atha has stepped down as your coordinator for Middle Tennessee.
new coordinator in the near future. In the interim, your contact will be Kristy Keel-Blackmon with East Tennessee Clean Fuels. Contact her at 865-974-9665 or kristy@etcleanfuels.org.
We would like to thank both Atha and Bart for their years of dedicated service and enthusiasm for alternative fuels. Their presence will be missed in Tennessee!
A Comiskey Fund has been established to help Bart and Atha with medical bills. If you would like to make a contribution, send a check via mail to: Donelson Church of Christ 2706 Old Lebanon Road Nashville, TN 37214 Memo field: “Comiskey Fund”
The Middle Tennessee Clean Fuels board of directors anticipate hiring a
Donors will receive a contribution letter from the church at year-end for
their donation. The church will mail Bart and Atha a check on the 10th and 25th of each month for the amount of the donations that were received and deposited during that time period.
In Memory of Paul Rice We would like to dedicate this newsletter to our friend and colleague, Paul Rice. Paul served as the coordinator for West Tennessee for four years. Paul passed away on May 16, 2015, with his family at his side. His presence, passion for alternative fuels and sense of humor will surely be missed by all who knew him. Paul lived in Jackson, Tennessee, with his wife, Lisa where he practiced law since 1984. He also felt a deep and personal
connection to the Clean Cities mission of energy independence. Among Paul’s most notable Clean Cities accomplishments, he assisted the Tennessee Gas Association in writing legislation in years past, and was active with the local electric vehicle club. He is survived by his mother, wife and children among other family members. Please join us in remembering Paul.
The Price is Right...for E85 For the past 10 years, the ethanol blend E85 has been available to drivers of flex fuel vehicles in Tennessee. However, it has infrequently been priced competitively and in a manner that equals or exceeds the miles per dollar for standard gasoline containing a 10% ethanol blend. With The Andersons, Inc. now providing E85 into the Tennessee market, more competitive pricing has arrived. The Andersons produces more than one million gallons of ethanol daily. Their preblended E85 began arriving in railcars to
the Chattanooga terminal earlier this year. “As an ethanol producer, we determined that the best way to get the lowest cost E85 to consumers is to remove the middleman mark-ups,” says John DiMartini, Ethanol Marketing Manager for The Andersons Ethanol Group. “When we can directly supply E85 to a market, we can provide high quality E85 to consumers at the lowest possible price. The Andersons is thrilled to offer Tennesseans a choice in the fuel they use with E85 that costs less, burns cleaner and is made in the USA.”
Pre-blended E85 is shipped from The Andersons to Chattanooga and is ready for delivery from Jackson to Jefferson City!
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EAST TENNESSEE CLEAN FUELS
JONATHAN OVERLY 865-974-3625 jonathan@etcleanfuels.org www.etcleanfuels.org
Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Who in Biofuels? Franklin Transit Authority Franklin, TN Biodiesel and E85 Use Franklin Transit has used E85 and B20 for years. They have fixed-route and ondemand services that utilize E85, and they used over 40,000 gallons of E85 in 2014! Their trolleys, like the one pictured at left, use B20. Franklin Transit is operated by the TMA Group, which runs the Clean Air Partnership. The Partnership promotes clean air activities across Williamson County.
Eastman Chemical Company Kingsport, TN Biodiesel Use Eastman Chemical Company leads by example, showing that a large corporation can have a clean and green fleet. Since 2006, Eastman has used nearly half a million gallons of biodiesel!
Sullens Transport Morrison, TN Biodiesel Use
Nashville Electric Service Nashville, TN E85 Use
Sullens Transport has a one-of-a-kind story. Not only do they use a very highlevel biodiesel blend of B99, but they also make it in-house.
Nashville Electric Service distributes energy to more than 350,000 customers in Middle Tennessee and uses E85 in 133 flex fuel fleet vehicles. In 2014 alone, they used 61,000 gallons of E85! They are committed to using other alternative fuels and vehicles as well in order to help conserve natural resources and improve air quality.
Their biodiesel, which meets all ASTM standards, is used in 50 heavy-duty trucks that haul milk from farmers to local bottling companies. Chris Sullens is pictured below with one of his tractors.
Tennessee Department of Transportation Across Tennessee Biodiesel and E85 Use TDOT operates across the entire state to keep our roadways safe and wellmaintained. They also use a lot of alternative fuels! In 2014, TDOT used 210,604 gallons of E85 and 81,158 gallons of biodiesel in various light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
They use biodiesel blends in all diesel vehicles and equipment, like the crane and dump truck pictured below, among many others like ambulances, fire trucks, locomotives, backhoes and more.
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TENNESSEE CLEAN FUELS & PARTNERS
DID YOU KNOW?
THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY MOVES 9.2 BILLION TONS OF FREIGHT ANNUALLY AND REQUIRES NEARLY 3 MILLION HEAVY-DUTY CLASS 8 TRUCKS AND OVER 3 MILLION TRUCK DRIVERS. Source: American Trucking Association
Join Team TSE! Not only does TSE (truck stop electrification) allow drivers to turn off their engines and still have access to important amenities like HVAC, electrical outlets and Wi-Fi instead of idling their engines and wasting expensive diesel fuel, but they also sleep better due to decreased noise and vibrations. Team TSE is an effort to promote and educate truck drivers (and everyone!) about the benefits of TSE and to be active in your state and community to deploy TSE equipment at truck stops for everyone’s improved health. Get more information and sign the pledge at www.TeamTSE.us!
TEAM TSE PLEDGE I support truck stop electrification (TSE) as an important part of the solution to reduce unnecessary idling from heavy-duty vehicles. Using TSE: •
Eliminates petroleum waste and engine wear caused by idling,
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Helps truck drivers sleep better due to reduced noise and vibration,
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Reduces emissions for improved air quality and
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Reduces our dependence on oil while using cleaner, American energy resources.
I support the expansion and utilization of TSE across the United States to reap these American rewards. I will be a resource to educate others about the many benefits of TSE and will use or encourage the use of TSE where it is available.
N AIR! A E L C T ! SUPPOR PLEDGE
E SIGN TH
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Tennessee’s Bioenergy Production and Infrastructure Have you ever wondered how much bioenergy exists and is produced right here in the Volunteer State? Get scoop right here, courtesy of the BioFuels Atlas from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Ethanol Plants
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Total Ethanol Capacity (million gallons/year)
225.0
Biodiesel Plants
2
Total Biodiesel Capacity (million gallons/year)
3.8
Biopower Plants
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Biopower Plant Capacity (nameplate, MW)
191.7
Remember, you can check current biofuel station locations anytime by visiting www.afdc.energy.org and using the alternative fuel station locator tool.