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.

Gaubert Oil will soon sell CNG in Terrebonne Parish

GBRCCC, Terrebonne Parish, CNGNow and Gaubert Oil invite you to the ground breaking ceremony Friday, April 18th at 11AM. View the press release.

Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities to Exhibit Alt Fuel Vehicles at Earth Day in Downtown Baton Rouge

Sunday, April 21st, join the Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition at Louisiana 2013 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 festival stages include Wayne Toups, Geno Delafose & the French Rockin’ Boogie, and the Mulligan Brothers 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 Ford Pick-Up
- Compressed Natural Gas, Honda Civic GX & Chevy Tahoe
- Plug-In Electric Vehicle, Nissan Leaf
- Bio Fuel Tahoe

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 info@gbrccc.org you have any questions about our display vehicles.

“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

The Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition — in partnership with our co-host, the Office of Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, invite you to join us for the Spring Clean Fuels Luncheon on Friday, March 8 from noon – 1:30pm at the Capitol Park Welcome Center. Registration begins at 11:30am.

This event marks a special milestone for our non-profit organization as we have recently completed the US Department of Energy process for re-designation as an affiliate of the national Clean Cities program. Thirteen-years after being organized by a group of dedicated leaders, we are now look forward to honoring our stakeholders and recognizing their achievements!

Keynote address to be provided by Brian Marshal, Capital Area Transit Agency CEO. Additional comments from Representative Stephen Ortego will overview expected alternative fuel legislation for the upcoming session.

This event is free of charge and open to the general public. Jambalaya lunch will be provided. RSVP by ordering your pre-registration ticket online here: http://cleanfuelsluncheon.eventbrite.com.

Clean Cities needs your help taking tally of alternative fuel use!

We are looking for vehicle and station updates for the following fuels: CNG, LNG, LPG, E85, B20, or EVSE. 

We depend on input from you in order to report alternative fuel usage for the five-parish capital region and beyond.  The U.S. Department of Energy uses data collected through Clean Cities Coalitions to measure the diversification of transportation fuels in America. Whether you were part of an AFV project in 2012 or participated in education and outreach efforts, we’d like to hear from you!  Please take a few minutes to complete our brief online questionnaire. 

This survey has been posted online in the form of a short questionnaire that should take less than five minutes to complete. In addition to gathering current contact information, the survey inquires about your organization’s involvement with alternative fuel vehicles, stations, and fuel reduction projects. Your contact information will be added to our quarterly newsletter list and you will receive information about the 2013 survey at this time next year. If we need additional details about your projects, we will email you directly. We can assure you that your contact information will not be shared with anyone, including the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Here is the link to access the 2012 Alternative Fuel Survey on SurveyMonkey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8T66BQL 

Thank you in advance for your attention to this critical data collection effort. Please feel free to email us at info(at)gbrccc(dot)org with any questions.

We look forward to seeing the results!

Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition (GBRCCC) is quickly approaching our thirteen-year anniversary . Since 1997, our partnership has fostered alternative fuel infrastructure and vehicle deployment throughout the Louisiana capitol region. With support from stakeholders across sectors and industries, the GBRCCC received designation as an affiliate with the U.S. Department of Energy in 2000. This milestone marked the launch of a shared mission to enhance local energy security, environmental quality, and economic stability.

The current region covered by the GBRCCC includes the following 5-parishes: Ascension, Iberville, Livingston, East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge. The Environmental Protection Agency ozone non-attainment area delineated this jurisdiction. The coalition has carried out its mandate thanks to partnerships with host agencies including Southern University, the East Baton Rouge City-Parish, Louisiana State University and now the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.

Early leaders, Michael McDaniel, Ph.D., Robert Borne, and Harold Moise oversaw the GBRCCC incorporation as a registered 501©3 non-profit organization. Over the past 13-years, volunteer board members represent our most dedicated stakeholder organizations, such as the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the Capitol Region Planning Commission, Entergy, PEC, Team Automotive, and Hollingsworth-Richards Ford. With board member guidance, GBRCCC has proven itself a successful facilitator of public-private partnerships. For example, completed projects include: CNG Trolleys for CATS serving downtown Baton Rouge, opening an E-85 fueling facility, and installation of electric-vehicle charging equipment on the LSU campus.

Currently, one other Clean Cities coalition exists in the state, covering the New Orleans metropolitan area. The Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuels Partnership covers a 7-parish area and operates within the Regional Planning Organization. The City of Shreveport pursued Clean Cities designation but the application to U.S. DOE was not approved. This leaves several major urban areas unrepresented by the Clean Cities program, including Lafayette, Lake Charles, Mandeville, Alexandria, and Shreveport.

GBRCCC has frequently received requests for technical assistance as well as membership inquires from Louisiana stakeholders located outside of the official organizational boundaries. At this time, GBRCCC has nearly 100 active members, including over 30 that are located outside of the Greater Baton Rouge area. We see as an indication of the strong demand for the services that Clean Cities provides outside of the existing GBRCCC territory.

To address the demand for alternative fuel project development resources as well as the need for regional transportation fueling corridors, GBRCCC is currently conducting an assessment that considers the opportunities and challenges related to expanding coverage territory. Please download the LouisianaCleanFuelStakeholderWebinar to see a recent presentation made to our partners outside of the capital region, overviewing the drivers of our expansion considerations.

We invite you to consider participation in this process by attending our upcoming anniversary celebration – the Spring 2013 Louisiana CleanFuels Luncheon on March 8th from 12-1:30. Registration for this event is free and available online here. You may also email us at info@gbrccc.org with questions, comments and suggestions for our expansion considerations. We welcome and appreciate any input you can offer!

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. 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.

May your days be filled with Joy

& your nights with dreams of shiny Alternative Fuel Vehicles…

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition

Notice:  Our offices will be closed in observance of the holidays from December 24, 2012 – January 3, 2013

The Biodiesel Education and Engagement Program (BEEP) is an exciting collaboration between GBRCCC and the LSU College of Engineering. GBRCCC is currently working with a team of senior LSU engineering students to reconstruct a biodiesel fire truck, called the Tiger Truck. The fire truck was originally converted by former LSU engineering students in 2010 and was a powerful tool in demonstrating how vegetable and used food oils could be turned into biodiesel. In order for it to travel across Louisiana, however, the Tiger Truck requires an estimated $30,000 reconstruction. Once fully restored, the Tiger Truck will be used in high school and community demonstrations around the state to show the full biodiesel process — from producing biodiesel on board to exhibiting the flow of biodiesel through labeled, visible components.

Mission
The mission of the program is to educate Louisiana high school students on the current economic and environmental challenges created by our nation’s dependence on petroleum imports and the potential of alternative fuels like biodiesel to help address those challenges.

Curriculum
GBRCCC is also working with LSU Associate Professor Dorin Boldor, in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, and LSU Lab School science teacher Steve Babcock, to develop exciting and engaging biodiesel curriculum and presentation materials that meet National Science Education Standards.

After learning how LSU engineering students successfully converted a fire truck to run on used vegetable oil, high school students will design their own biofuel projects and be encouraged to work together to reduce the use of petroleum in their schools and communities. Students will also gain greater insight into possible clean energy careers, and the Tiger Truck reconstruction will be recorded and developed into a how-to guide for those interested in converting their own diesel vehicles such as food trucks and school buses.

Get Involved
Your tax deductible donations will go directly to the reconstruction of the BEEP Tiger Truck. GBRCCC is currently accepting both cash and in-kind donations.

For a list of in-kind donations needed as well as details on donor recognition and benefits, please contact GBRCCC at info@gbrccc.org.