2016 EDITION I,VOL. 27
TENNESSEE
CLEAN FUELS ADVISOR
BRINGING ALTERNATIVE FUELS TO THE FOREFRONT IN TENNESSEE
Delivering Innovation: ORNL’s AMIE Demonstration Project Last fall, Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled its latest innovation: AMIE. The Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) is a model for energyefficient systems that link vehicles and buildings—on or off the grid. It consists of a 3D-printed house, a 3D-printed utility vehicle and an integrated energy system with smart controls that connects the two. The printed vehicle features a hybrid electric powertrain
with onboard power generation from natural gas. A single engine extends vehicle range and produces power for both vehicle and building. Energy flows back and forth between the car and house using fast, efficient bi-directional wireless power transfer—a first for level 2 charging. Learn more about the AMIE demonstration at bit.ly/AMIEdemo.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Delivering Innovation: ORNL’s 1 AMIE Demonstration Project Propane Mowers Take the Stage
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UPS Fleet Runs on Landfill Gas
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Demonstration Vehicles Available to Tennessee Fleets Mass Transit Moves Towards Sustainability Across Tennessee
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Green Island Biofuels Funding
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Introducing Tennessee Clean Fuels
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Did You Know?
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FAST FACT:
ORNL’s AMIE demonstration uses 3D printing to connect a natural-gas-powered hybrid electric vehicle to a high-performance building designed to produce, consume and store renewable energy. Photo courtesy of ORNL, U.S. DOE.
Propane Mowers Take the Stage Propane-powered, professional mowing equipment options have gone from very few to a plethora of choices in the last decade. There are now many original equipment manufacturers (OEM) selling propane-powered, zero-turn, walk-behind and stand-on mowers direct to fleets and consumers. Purchasing an (OEM) propane mower can generally provide a return on investment in less than one year if the mowers are used on a regular basis. Converting a gasoline-powered mower to propane can be inexpensive and has never been easier to complete.
No spills, eliminating fuel theft, reduced emissions and cost savings are some of the benefits that these fleets are seeing. Some of the Tennessee fleets that are using propane mowers includes: • Common Grounds Landscape Management • City of Knoxville • City of Kingsport • Great Smoky Mountains National Park • University of Memphis • Turf Managers, LLC • The Lawn Butler
Right: Great Smoky Mountains National Park is just one example of local propane mower use. The park now uses five propane mowers.
The Tennessee Clean Fuels Advisor is a publication of the 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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ORNL’s printed vehicle has a hybrid electric powertrain with onboard power generation from natural gas. A single engine extends vehicle range and produces power for both vehicle and building. Energy flows between the two using fast, efficient bi-directional wireless power transfer.
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TENNESSEE CLEAN FUELS
Green Island Biofuels Funding Tennessee’s Department of Transportation will soon be requestiong grant applications for biofuels infrastructure. The Green Island Biofuel Corridor Program will expand the use of cleaner burning biofuels by expanding a network of biodiesel and ethanol refueling stations.
stations along interstates, major highway corridors and in cities and towns across Tennessee. The funding will now also assist with fleet refueling (i.e., private) infrastructure as well.
Both public stations and private entities who have their own refueling infrastructure The Green Island Biofuel Corridor Program will be able to apply for funding to install was created to assist retail companies the biodiesel blend B20 or EFF tanks and in establishing B20 and ethanol flex fuel fuel dispensers. (or EFF, formerly known as E85) refueling
Grants will be funded through a competitive process, with a cap of $45,000 per fuel, or $90,000 for installation of both fuels at any one station or site. Keep in touch with your Clean Cities coalitions to get information when the grant funding becomes available.
While great progress has been made to add biofuel stations in Tennessee (stations are shown as orange dots), there are still many communities that do not have convenient access to EFF or B20.
FAST FACT:
Ethanol is good for our economy. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, in 2014, the production of 14.3 billion gallons of ethanol supported 83,949 direct jobs in the renewable fuel and agriculture industries in the U.S., as well as 295,265 indirect and induced jobs across all sectors of the economy.
Demonstration Vehicles Available to Tennessee Fleets Through the Southeast Alternative Fuel Demonstration Initiative, or SADI, grant from the Department of Energy, we are pleased to partner with Triangle J Council of Governments and Clean Cities coalitions in North and South Carolina in an alternative fuel vehicle demonstration program. Beginning in the second quarter of 2016, a number of vehicles will be circulated to fleets in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina for the purpose of allowing your drivers to try a new technology or fuel. Vehicles will be available to fleets free of cost, however, the fleet will be responsible for refueling the vehicle
during the demonstration period. The following vehicles will be available in Tennessee at various times throughout 2016: • Enterprise Flex Fuel Van • 2015 Chevrolet Cruze, dedicated compressed natural gas • Bi-fuel Propane autogas vehicles: 2015 Ford F150, 2015 Ford Explorer, 2015 Ford Transit, 2014 Ford Explorer Police SUV, 2015 Dodge Charger Pursuit For additional information, please visit www.sadidemo.org or send an email to info@etcleanfuels.org to ask about reserving a vehicle.
A bi-fuel propane Ford Explorer Police SUV like the one above is just one of the vehicles that will be available through the SADI Demonstration Grant.
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TENNESSEE CLEAN FUELS
Mass Transit Moves Towards Sustainability Across Tennessee Across the U.S., mass transit vehicles are transitioning to cleaner, greener options. Luckily, three of Tennessee’s main cities have made the move as well. Here, we’ll highlight sustainable mass transit projects in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has provided CMAQ funding to all of these transit agencies to purchase cleaner, advanced technology buses and other transit vehicles (e.g., trolleys).
Nashville The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority | Electric Buses Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) now offers nine all-electric, zeroemission buses to visitors who ride the Music City Circuit routes downtown. These Proterra buses carry 27 passengers on a nearly silent ride. Nashville MTA sees this as a way to provide better services for those who live and work in the community. Each bus can travel 26+ miles on a single charge and recharges with wireless technology in less than 10 minutes. Nashville citizens can breathe easier knowing that these buses are five times more fuel efficient than diesel buses and have no tailpipe emissions! Photo courtesy of Proterra
Knoxville Knoxville Area Transit | Hybrid Electric Buses Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) currently operates six hybrid electric vehicles— three in regular fixed route service and three in Knoxville’s downtown trolley system. For KAT, this hybrid technology, when combined with particulate filters, creates an efficiency of fuel economy and reduced emissions which approaches that of full electric vehicles, but at a reduced cost and with no charging time or additional infrastructure. KAT plans to acquire an additional five hybrids in the next 18 months.
Photo courtesy of KAT
Chattanooga Chattanooga Area Regional Transit Authority | Electric Buses Chattanooga Area Regional Transit Authority (CARTA) is no stranger to clean transportation. Their involvement with electric vehicles started in 1990 with the decision to use electric, battery operated buses for the Downtown Shuttle. Since its initiation in 1992, the Downtown Shuttle has carried over 12 million passengers, and the quiet, environmentally friendly electric buses have run more than 2.6 million miles! Photo courtesy of CARTA
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TENNESSEE CLEAN FUELS
UPS Fleet Runs on Landfill Gas UPS has announced that its fleets in Memphis, Tennessee, and Jackson, Mississippi, will begin running on renewable natural gas, or RNG.
an estimated 15 million diesel gallon equivalents of RNG during a multi-year agreement with Memphis Light, Gas and Water and Atmos Energy.
RNG comes from landfills, wastewater treatment facilities or agricultural sites where methane is captured and purified instead of being flared or released into the atmosphere. UPS expects to use
This effort is just a part of UPS’s overall alternative fuels initiative. The company has a goal of driving one billion miles with its alternative fuels fleet, known as the Rolling Laboratory, by the end of 2017. See UPS’s Trash to Gas RNG diagram at bit.ly/UPS-RNG!
Introducing Tennessee Clean Fuels If you are on one of our email lists, you may have noticed some recent changes in logos and names.
to serve all of Tennessee’s residents and to advance the Clean Cities mission, the state would be split between the two coalitions. “Tennessee Clean Fuels” was created to After Paul Rice’s passing and the Comiskeys represent both coalitions working together retiring, the East and Middle Tennessee to help Tennessee fleets. Clean Fuels boards of directors came together to strategize how to best move Moving forward, this will mean that the forward. It was determined that in order entire state of Tennessee—for the first
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Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels 47 counties in the western half of the state Contact: Kristy Keel-Blackmon Interim Coordinator kristy@etcleanfuels.org, 865-974-9665
time—will be served by a designated Clean Cities coalition. That means more funding announcements, networking opportunities and other benefits. We see this as a very positive change and hope that you will join us as we continue working with our dedicated partners to put alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies in use across the state.
East Tennessee Clean Fuels 48 counties in the eastern half of the state Contact: Jonathan Overly Coordinator & Director jonathan@etcleanfuels.org, 865-974-3625
FAST FACT:
East and Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels are just two of the nearly 90 Clean Cities coalitions spread across the U.S. Visit cleancities.energy.gov to find out more about the program.
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TENNESSEE CLEAN FUELS
DID YOU KNOW?
TENNESSEE’S CLEAN FUEL PARTNERS ARE DOING SOME REALLY IMPORTANT WORK. CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING. Clean Cities partners with the National Park Service (NPS) through the Clean Cities National Parks Initiative to support transportation projects that educate park visitors on the benefits of cutting petroleum use and vehicle emissions. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is taking part in the initiative and has installed electric vehicle charging stations, replaced older vehicles with low-speed electric vehicles and converted five mowers to run on propane. See some of the highlights from the park’s ribbon-cutting ceremony below, or watch the project’s official video at www bit.ly/GRSM-CCNPI.
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Congratulations, Tennessee Green Fleets! Tennessee Clean Fuels presented awards to the inaugural class of certified Green Fleets in Chattanooga on May 12. The “Certified Green Fleets” are: Waste Management, UPS, Sullens Transport, Common Grounds Landscape Management, Turf Managers, LLC, City of Kingsport, Gibson County Utility District and Scott Appalachian Industries.
Join Us: Tennessee Workplace Charging Challenge
Demonstration Vehicles Coming
The Tennessee Workplace Charging Challenge is a
alternative fuel vehicles for a free demonstration period!
voluntary program that encourages Tennessee businesses
Flip to page two to find out how you can get access to
to install electric vehicle charging stations at work for their employees’ use. This free program is in line with the U.S. Department of Energy’s EV Everywhere Workplace Charging Challenge. Ready to sign up? Or already have EV chargers? Visit www.driveelectrictn.org for more information about how to get involved.
alternative fuel vehicle demonstration project