GBRCCC

Louisiana Clean Fuels at the Capitol

The Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition — in partnership with its clean fuel stakeholders, held a press conference, alternative fuel vehicle display, and ride and drive event on Monday, April 22nd at AZ Young Park in downtown Baton Rouge.

In celebration of Earth Day, the Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition hosted an educational presentation for Louisiana policy makers and press regarding the benefits of alternative fuels. At a time when many areas of the state are becoming more concerned with ozone emissions, alternative fuels are an important part of addressing the air pollution problem.  According to GBRCCC Executive Director, Lauren Stuart, “clean fuels offer invaluable benefits to the state of Louisiana. By diversifying our transportation fuels, we can improve local air quality, strengthen the regional economy, and advance national energy independence.”

The Clean Fuels press conference took place at 1:30 on the steps of the State Capitol. Speakers included GBRCCC executive director, Lauren Stuart, owner of Baton Rouge based Stop-and-Go Driving Academy, Kay Wallock, director of the Lafayette Parish School System, William Samec, Louisiana State Representative, Stephen Ortego, and commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Mike Strain.

“As a public servant, I, along with my management and finance team, are always looking for ways to cut costs and save taxpayers money. So far, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has purchased one compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle but plans to purchase more to test the product in our effort to save money, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The CNG fuel costs, on average, $1.69 per gallon and unleaded fuel, on average, costs $3.25 per gallon.  So far, we are seeing a benefit and a cost savings for the department,” said Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain.

Representative Stephen Ortego is currently working to pass legislation that protects alternative fuel vehicle and infrastructure tax credits in Louisiana. He explained the energy security aspects of alternative fuels, “Louisiana can be a leader towards energy security for the United States by pushing alternative fuel vehicles who run on the very natural resources we produce. We are the number one producer of natural gas in the country and the number two producer of propane gas.  Why not push for vehicles like these?”

Vehicles on display included the Lafayette Parish School System propane-powered school bus, converted CNG Ford pickup trucks from Niyato Industries and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, CNG Civics from Stop-and-Go Driving Academy and Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, plugin electric vehicles from Royal Nissan and Gerry Lane Chevrolet, as well as hybrid-electric luxury vehicles from Brian Harris BMW, Mercedes Benz of Baton Rouge and Price LeBlanc Lexus.

Clean Cities is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program. GBRCCC is a designated affiliate of the national Clean Cities program and receives additional support from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. The mission of the Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition is to advance the nation’s environmental, economic and energy security by supporting local actions to provide transportation fuel options.

“As gas prices increase, electric vehicles offer drivers a much more affordable fueling option,” said Lauren L. Stuart, GBRCCC executive director and program coordinator. “Also, electric vehicles require less maintenance than gasoline-fueled cars, including zero oil changes. Beyond the personal benefits, driving an electric vehicle advances domestic energy security and local environmental quality.”

LSU currently has two electric vehicle charging stations with reserved parking spaces – one located off Aster Street near Kirby Smith Hall on the north side of the campus, and the other located in the X-174 commuter lot off of Nicholson Extension on the campus’s south side.

The LSU EV charging stations were installed in July 2011 through a partnership with Entergy Louisiana LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana LLC, marking the state’s first major foray into the electric vehicle market. The chargers were donated to LSU by Entergy and were paid for by Entergy shareholders through its Environmental Initiatives Fund, which was established as a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through innovative and promising projects.  Since the original installations, GBRCCC has been a project partner, assisting in the educational and promotional efforts of the program.

LSU Media Center published an article and a YouTube video announcing the new website: http://www.lsu.edu/ur/ocur/lsunews/MediaCenter/News/2013/04/item59910.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQpjWXZPnFg

Energy Department Announces New Funding to Advance Plug-in Electric Vehicle Technologies

Official Announcement

The Energy Department will select new research projects that focus on lowering the cost and increasing the efficiency of PEV components, as well as the development of models and tools to predict these vehicles’ performance and help improve fuel economy. The Department will fund projects across five major areas of research and development that cover 12 areas of interest, including:

• Advanced lightweighting and propulsion materials
• Advanced battery development
• Power electronics
• Advanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems
• Fuels and lubricants

Read for more information or to apply

Deadline for application: 4/29/13 at 8:00PM EST

On October 25, 2012, Transportation Energy Partners along with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHA) hosted a live webinar on “MAP-21: What the New Transportation Law Means for Alternative Fuels and Vehicles”.  The webinar provided critical information on project eligibility and program objectives. Clean Cities is pleased to see an emphasis on alternative fuel eligibility and encourages alternative fuel project participation by our local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC). A recording of the MAP-21 webinar and slides can be found here: http://www.southshorecleancities.org/webinars.php or you can watch it now (see below).

MAP-21, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act, provides much needed funds for the continued development of national transportation infrastructure through fiscal year 2014. Signed into law on July 6, 2012, the two-year bill addresses such challenges as improving safety, maintaining infrastructure condition, reducing traffic congestion, improving efficiency of the system and freight movement, protecting the environment, and reducing delays in project delivery.

MAP-21 also builds on existing highway, transit, bike, and pedestrian programs and policies, and serves to assist local communities in building multimodal, sustainable projects. The previous apportionment formula has been replaced with prior-year proportionality, so states will see a similar level of funding.

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ)
The CMAQ Program, continued in MAP-21, provides a flexible funding source to state and local governments for transportation projects and programs to help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act. Funding is available to reduce congestion and improve air quality for areas that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter (nonattainment areas) as well as former nonattainment areas that are now in compliance (maintenance).

Under MAP-21, a state with PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter) areas must invest a minimum 25% of CMAQ funds into particulate matter reduction. Highlighted CMAQ eligibilities include transit operating assistance and facilities serving electric or natural gas-fueled vehicles (except where this conflicts with prohibition on rest area commercialization).

Under the three elements of CMAQ – transportation, emissions reduction, and nonattainment/maintenance area – a wide range of projects are eligible, including:

-          Bicycle and pedestrian projects

-          Transit improvements

-          Traffic flow improvements

-          Rideshare services

-          Demand management

-          Alternative fuels

-          Anti-idling facilities

-          Electric and natural gas vehicle infrastructure

-          Diesel retrofits

-          Construction equipment and vehicles

For further details, contact our local MPO, the Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC) at (225) 383-5203 or visit their website.

On Thursday, October 18, 2012, National Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Day Odyssey marked its 10-year anniversary and was celebrated across the U.S. at over 150 sites including Baton Rouge. Coordinated by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC), the biennial event is dedicated to promoting the use of AFVs and advanced technology vehicles.

The Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, along with sponsors Apache Corporation and Royal Nissan, hosted lawmakers, government officials, and clean fuel stakeholders from across the state for a one-day Symposium and Expo at the Capital Park Welcome Center.

(Thomas Marino, GBRCCC Vice President;  Melvin L. “Kip” Holden, EBR Mayor-President; Lauren L. Stuart, GBRCCC Executive Director)

East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Melvin L. “ Kip” Holden kicked off the event with welcoming remarks. As someone who has worked on securing alternative fuels policy, Holden is well aware of the barriers to achieving energy independence in Louisiana, but believes that’s why such efforts must continue: “Even though there are still obstacles out there, you are on the right track. You must keep pushing and opening those doors.”

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry,             Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain

Keynote speaker Dr. Mike Strain, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, articulated why the department is so heavily invested in alternative fuels. From field to table, our food is transported an average of 15 times. As the state’s largest industry, agriculture and forestry require a ton of energy. In addition to expanding alternative fuel use to lower costs, reduce dependence on imported petroleum, and decrease greenhouse gases, Dr. Strain sees alternative fuels as an untapped global market for the state. “Louisiana is perfectly suited for biofuel production [because of] location, vegetation diversity, climate, agricultural infrastructure, [and our] forests yield the highest amounts of biomass.” LA also has some of the largest natural gas finds in the world. Working to ensure that these industries are better developed and that the revenues stay here in the state is paramount.

GBRCCC executive director Lauren Lee Stuart demonstrated the impact Clean Cities has had on the nation’s economic stability, energy security, and environmental quality – saving more than 3 billion gallons of petroleum since the program’s start in 1994. As 27% of greenhouse gases come from the transportation sector, we need to ensure that AFVs and infrastructure are prioritized and made more accessible.

(Lauren L. Stuart, GBRCCC; Louisiana State Representatives Robert Billiot, Rep. James Fannin; Rep. Henry Burns)

        Randy Hayden, director of Louisiana Propane Association, moderated a political panel with Representatives Franklin Foil and Dalton Honore. The panel discussed the legislative obstacles standing between us and the future of alternative fuel production, accessibility, and AFVs. Representative Honore, a former Exxon dealer, explained that rising fuel costs are driving industry away from LA and that we have to develop alternative fuels to survive in the new marketplace. “If you can supply industry with resources out of LA, that will make us much more competitive.”

(Randy Hayden, Louisiana Propane Association; Representative Dalton Honore’; Representative Franklin Foil)

Before being appointed to the Natural Resources Committee, Representative Foil had never heard about compressed natural gas (CNG). “[It was] eye-opening to learn about what we could do with that technology.” Foil pointed out that we need to look very closely at the state’s existing AFV tax credits and make the case that those credits will stimulate economic activity. Moreover, we need to modify LA road use fees for AFVs because currently drivers pay the same tax on alternative fuels as gasoline and diesel. As of now, electric vehicles don’t have a road use tax because they don’t operate on a per gallon unit. Moving forward, LA should provide greater tax incentives to build alternative fuel stations.

Bio-CNG Work Truck on display thanks to the St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Disposal District

St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Disposal District Operations Technician Faltery “FJ” Jolivette gave an inspiring presentation on the success of pioneering the first biogas fleet in the state and one of only a few in the country. The District extracts methane from decomposing trash and transfers it to a natural gas fueling station nearby. Today, BioCNG fuels 10 St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s office vehicles and five pickup trucks that work on the landfill.

The newly converted CNG Ford F-150, the first of four planned compressed natural gas vehicles for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

Gifford Briggs, Vice President of Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, moderated a panel on another alternative fuel success story, featuring Mike Hollier, Tony Tramel, Rob Guidry, and Mark Bruchman. Panelists shared key insights detailing Lafayette’s process of converting its entire fleet of buses and many of its city vehicles to CNG. Briggs noted, “We act like CNG is new in LA, [but] it’s not new; it’s just new here. SoCal has been doing this for 30 years.” CNG is not as dependent on the price of a gallon at the pump like gasoline, and therefore is not nearly as volatile.  Mike Hollier, from Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG), said the city sent a team to learn from Fortworth, TX who had been running their public transit on CNG for the last 30 years. After two years of research, the consensus was CNG. Hollier put it simply: “Not using CNG in Lafayette is like living in the forest without using the wood.” Hollier assured that in both the short-term and the long-term, CNG infrastructure is a sound investment.

(Gifford Briggs, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association; Rob Guidry, Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce;  Mark Bruchman, Apache; Mike Hollier, Lafayette Consolidated Government and the Lafayette Metropolitan Planning Organization; and Tony Trammel, Lafayette Traffic and Transportation Department)

So how can other cities get started? LCG created a public information video available for those interested in transitioning. The city found that installing three 24-hour CNG fueling stations before they began converting fleets was key to its program’s success. They also recommend replacing city buses at a rate of two/year. The project was funded in part by a grant from the Department of Natural Resources Empower Louisiana Transportation Efficiency and Alternative Fuels Program.

Tony Tramel, also from LCG, explains that one of the main barriers to achieving alternative fuel economies of scale is drivers’ fears that they’ll run out of fuel and be left without access to a fueling station. “If we increase the number of stations, we’ll deal with that fear. Vehicles [also] have to be bi-fuel to address that concern.” Rob Guidry , President and CEO of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of private and public partnerships in the alternative fuels industry: “We’ve partnered with everyone on this panel and want to be relevant to all sectors.” Industry is prepared to be a part of clean energy solutions as soon as products are available. Operations General Manager – Natural Gas Development Group of Apache Corporation Mark Bruchman said the best marketing tool is the price tag: “People flood the CNG station after seeing the $1.79/gallon billboard, but then realize it doesn’t work for their [gasoline powered] car.” Apache has been a leader in investing in CNG infrastructure and even donated equipment to Lafayette. In order to be an economically viable market, Briggs reiterates that the state needs to see consumer support for alternative fuels like CNG as well as AFV tax incentives.

AFV Odyssey Expo attendees look under the hood of a propane truck on display thanks to Ferrell Gas

Following the AFV Symposium, the Odyssey event continued with a 2^nd line parade to the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Expo by jazz musician John Gray. The afternoon’s line-up included BioCNG Chevy Pick Up, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Chevy Volt, Honda CNG Civic Gx, Nissan Leaf, Solar EV Charging Station, Propane Truck, Bi-fuel CNG Chevy Tahoe and 2012 Ford F-150 CNG. NAPA Auto & Truck Parts distributed generous gift baskets, and Boudreaux Jr.’s Fiddle Duo provided attendees with music under the oak trees.

Thanks again to all the sponsors, panelists, and exhibitors who contributed to the event’s success!

CNG Tahoe and Civic Gx on display thanks to the      Louisiana Department of Natural Resources

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Volt on display thanks to             Gerry Lane Chevrolet

The National Petroleum Council released their report “Advancing Technology for America’s Transportation Future” on August 1, 2012. This report, which was commissioned by the US Secretary of Energy, has been two years in the making. The NPC also put out a parallel study “Prudent Development” – in this document, the NPC reports that “Beyond the power sector, there is potential for increased use of natural gas to displace oil in the transportation sector.” Their findings in “Prudent Development” included a discovery that our natural gas resource base could supply the US over 100 years of demand at today’s consumption rates. Additionally, 97% of all energy used in the transportation sector currently comes from oil. With this in mind, we consider the findings in the Future Transportation Fuels (FTC) report.

Two years ago in a letter to the NPC, Secretary Chu requested that the final FTF report answer the following question: “What actions could industry and government take to stimulate the technological advances and market conditions needed to reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. transportation sector by 50 percent by 2050 relative to 2005 levels, while enhancing the nation’s energy security and economic prosperity?” To accomplish this goal, over 300 participants representing industry, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations contributed to the study. In addition to natural gas, the study analyzed four other fuel fuels, including biofuels, EV, and hydrogen.

Source: National Petroleum Council

The study recognizes infrastructure barriers to the deployment of alternative fueled vehicles, but also identifies many solutions and short term options for transition periods such as utilizing Flexible-fuel, bi-fuel and plug-in hybrids facilitate transition.  The NPC report suggests ways to surmount the challenges that lie ahead. One such solution is “building on existing infrastructure, corridor-deployment, and multi-fuel vehicles” as a way to overcome infrastructure challenges for wide-scale commercialization of advanced fuel-vehicle systems. These proposed solutions are given as options to facilitate concurrent development of alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure.

The study predicts the following for alternative fuels in the year 2050:

• Internal combustion engines are likely to remain a dominant propulsion technology
• CNG is the strongest economic competitor for the internal combustion engine (ICE)
• Reducing the cost of Plug-In electric Vehicles (PEV) and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) has a big impact on share.
  

  Source: National Petroleum Council

For more details on the study, download a slide overview of the NPC’s Future Transportation Fuels Study

http://www.npc.org/FTFpresentation-80112.pdf or view an easy to navigate version of the full report here. Can’t get enough? View the webcast that announced the publication of the report.

Hydrogen fueling nozzle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Will the U.S. ever follow Germany’s lead in expanding the hydrogen network, or will battery electric vehicles ultimately improve enough to make hydrogen technology obsolete?

Green Car Report - http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1077112_germany-expanding-hydrogen-network-will-u-s-ever-follow

Related articles

• Germany will have 50 hydrogen stations by 2015 (green.autoblog.com)
• How boat engineering is keeping hydrogen power hopes buoyant (guardian.co.uk)

Monday @ Sonic on Highland Road

The Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition (GBRCCC) would like to welcome the MINDDRIVE team to Baton Rouge. This team of high school students from Kansas City, MO have converted a 1977 Lotus Esprit into an electric (EV) vehicle. As part of their 2,400 mile cross country tour, they will be stopping at the Sonic Drive In on Highland Road at I10 on Monday, June 18th at 6:30PM for a press conference and to show off their car.

Quick Facts:

Who:  High School Students from Kansas City, MO Journey:  2,400 mile journey from San Diego, CA to Jacksonville, FL

The Car: A prototype ultra-high-efficiency plug-in electric vehicle that they designed and built from a 1977 Lotus Espirit

The Program:  The group, MINDDRIVE, is an educational program for at-risk urban high school students focused on hands-on activities in an automotive design class.  After a successful trip in 2010, this year’s class is making the trip to showcase the benefits of EVs and their accomplishment of designing a fully electric vehicle

Learn more about MINDDRIVE and their mission: www.minddrive.org

Related article

• MINDDRIVE’S Electric Car Project Seeks National Sponsorships for Coast-To-Coast Demonstration Run (prweb.com)

Attention Clean Fuel Stakeholders
Thanks to a partnership between GBRCCC and the Government Fleet Expo (GFX), we are offering a discount to the event being held in Denver from June 18-20. You or your agency’s fleet manager can save $50 on registration just for being a member of our coalition! If you register by Friday, May 25th, you can save an additional $100!

Full schedule is available at the GFX website : http://www.governmentfleetexpo.com

Your conference registration covers:

• 12 hours of education and training that address your top challenges
• 12 hours of on-site and on-the-town networking opportunities
• Two catered breakfasts and two networking lunches
• Special rates at two premier area hotels
• Flash drive containing industry-specific business plans, templates and spreadsheets.
• An exhibit hall filled with the newest vehicles & latest technologies from a wide range of companies

Registration information and additional details are included for you in the PDF attached. Hotel rooms are filling up fast so register today! Please feel free to contact us at GBRCCC  if you have any questions.

Sunday, April 22nd, join the Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition at Louisiana 2012 Earth Day celebration!

Located in downtown Baton Rouge, this event is one of the largest environmental festivals in the nation. With an exciting music line-up from noon ’till 8:30pm, it’s no wonder. Headlining artists performing on the four festival stages include Soul Rebels, Marcia Bell, and Tab Benoit, just to name a few!

Stop by the GBR Clean Cities’ tents on the corner of North Blvd. & 4th Street between 12-5pm to see a line-up of another kind. You’ll see us in front of the City Club of Baton Rouge with a banner and clean fuel exhibit. Our display will feature alternative fuel vehicles including:

- Compressed Natural Gas Converted Pick-Up
- Compressed Natural Gas, Honda Civic GX
- Plug-In Electric Vehicle, Nissan Leaf
- Propane Converted Pick-Up
- Propane Lawn Mower

We are looking forward to seeing you and answering your questions about advanced vehicle technology and alternative fuel infrastructure. For more information about Louisiana Earth Day, visit laearthday.org. Please send an email to gbrccc@gmail.com if you have any questions about our display vehicles.

“Clean Fuels for a Greater Baton Rouge”

The Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition (GBRCCC) is a designated affiliate of the Department of Energy program in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. We appreciate support provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and all of our generous stakeholders. Membership to GBRCCC is available to the public at large. To subscribe to our newsletter, click here.