GBRCCC

Clean Fleets Technologies Conference 
November 15, 2012 in Houston, Texas          
Registration is now open for the 2012 Clean Fleet Technologies Conference.
The conference will be held on November 15, 2012 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. The CFTC event is a day-long conference highlighting a full spectrum of clean fuels and technologies. You can register here, or contact Allison Carr, Houston-Galveston Clean Cities Coordinator, at cleancities@h-gac.com or (832) 681-2583 for more information.

Energy Independence Summit 2013
April 8-10, 2013 in Washington, DC
Gain inside access to the new post-election landscape as leaders from the next administration, the new Congress, the alternative fuels industry, state and local government, and Clean Cities coalitions convene in Washington. Join the nation’s premier clean transportation leaders and Clean Cities Coordinators to discuss best practices and educate federal policymakers on driving America to a clean transportation future!

2013 Alternative Clean Transportation Expo
June 24 – 27, 2013 in Washington, D.C.
North America’s largest alternative fuel and clean vehicle technologies conference moves to the U.S. capital to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program for the 2013 conference. The ACT Expo will be held June 24-27 in Washington, D.C. Read the press release with information about this year’s ACT Expo here, and visit the event website.

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^stCentury (MAP-21) Act

SOURCE: Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team

On Friday, July 6^th, President Obama signed the 2012 surface transportation act, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^stCentury (MAP-21) Act. Like the other surface transportation acts (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation#surface), this legislation authorizes funds for highway construction, and highway safety and public transportation programs. MAP-21 has a few implications for funding for Clean Cities portfolio items, specifically electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and natural gas fueling stations:

• Surface Transportation Funding (STF). Section 1108 adds electric vehicle and natural gas vehicle infrastructure to the list of projects eligible for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)’s STF program (see http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/factsheets/stp.htm and 23 U.S. Code 133).

• Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program. Section 1113 adds a special note to the law stating that CMAQ funding (see http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/air_quality/cmaq/ and 23 U.S. Code 149) may be used to establish EVSE or natural gas vehicle fueling stations. As explained on the CMAQ website (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/air_quality/cmaq/reference/alternative_fuel/index.cfm), alternative fuel infrastructure previously qualified for CMAQ funding, with some restrictions. However, this change to the law makes it very clear that states may choose to use the funds for EVSE and natural gas fueling infrastructure.

• Parking for Commercial Vehicles on the National Highway System. Section 1408 authorizes highway projects to address the shortage of long-term parking for commercial motor vehicles on national highways. It states that funding for these projects may be used to establish EVSE or natural gas vehicle fueling stations at these parking facilities.

• Carpool Parking Facilities. Section 1513 states that federal financial assistance for fringe and corridor parking facilities (see 23 U.S. Code 137) may be used to add EVSE or natural gas fueling stations to parking facilities meant for carpools, with some restrictions.
• Forest Development Roads and Trails. Section 1513 also states that federal funds for forest development roads and trails (see 23 U.S. Code 205) may be used for EVSE and natural gas vehicle fueling stations in vehicular parking areas.

Lastly, on a more general note, Section 20011 states that projects related to alternative fuels are eligible for Department of Transportation research support (see 49 U.S. Code 5312).

The changes outlined above go into effect on October 1, 2012. To view the full text of MAP-21, select Enrolled Bill version from the following website: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.4348:. A Public Law number should be assigned to H.R. 4348 very soon.

Keep checking the GBRCCC blog for transportation and alternative fuel policy updates and contact us with any questions you may have concerning these and other funding opportunities.

Related articles

• Feds to fund natural gas research (jsonline.com)
• Texas to grant $18M for natural gas vehicle purchases or repowers (greencarcongress.com)
• California Energy Commission awards $500K to advance green transportation- (greencarcongress.com)

Thanks to the Jim Engster show for featuring the Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition (GBRCCC)on WRKF! The mp3 podcast works best on Firefox or Internet Explorer. Stream the interview online here: http://www.wrkf.org/multimedia/library/1066.mp3

In fall of 2011, the Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition studied emerging electric vehicle models, charging infrastructures and market potential in order to determine the feasibility of electric vehicles (EVs) in our region.  To gather input from local experts, we hosted an EV Stakeholder Strategy Session on July 19th and an EV Feasibility Forum on Oct. 5, both held at Louisiana State University’s Center for Energy Studies.

The study was submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the national initiative to assess EV viability. We hope the 19-page report will also be a useful resource for our stakeholders. Particularly helpful for the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure locally will be the 8 maps, which include an illustrated list of our recommended EV charging station locations.

Please take a moment to download the report here: EVfeasibility_GBRCCC

We welcome all suggestions regarding this study. Please send your comments to us at gbrccc@gmail.com

What are the average greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)? How do these emissions compare to conventional vehicles?

Answer: In addition to reducing petroleum consumption, EVs and PHEVs have the potential to reduce pollutant emissions, resulting in environmental and human health benefits. Vehicle emissions can be characterized as:

* Upstream: Emissions from the production of the vehicle fuel (e.g., electricity).

* Tailpipe: Emissions produced by a vehicle while operating.

* Well-to-wheel: The combination of upstream and tailpipe emissions.

EV Emissions EVs are often referred to as “zero emission vehicles,” meaning they do not emit any tailpipe emissions. Therefore, the well-to-wheel GHG emissions associated with EV operation are entirely dependent on the source that is used to produce the electricity that powers the vehicle. Emissions from electricity production depend on the efficiency of the power plant and the types of fuel sources used. Based on the U.S. average electricity production fuel mix, the GHG emissions are lower for an EV using electricity generated from power plants than a vehicle running on gasoline or diesel. If electricity is generated from nonpolluting, renewable sources, EVs have the potential to produce no well-to-wheel GHG emissions. On the other hand, EVs powered by electricity generated using coal have the potential to produce more well-to-wheel GHG emissions than gasoline vehicles, depending on the power source.

To determine your region’s specific fuel mix, as well as the emissions rates of electricity based on your zip code, see the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s Power Profiler (http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html). While factors such as the time of day and season can affect which specific power plant (and fuel mix) provides the vehicle’s electricity, these average emissions rates help approximate the impact of these vehicles. PHEV Emissions PHEVs typically operate either in all-electric mode or using an internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric drivetrain in a manner similar to a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The emissions vary based on the percent of time that the vehicle is in each operating mode. When operating in all-electric mode, emissions are considered from the source that produced the electricity. When the vehicle’s ICE is running, both the upstream and tailpipe emissions must be taken into account. The tailpipe emissions will vary depending on vehicle efficiency.

Comparing EV and PHEV Emissions to ICE Vehicle Emissions

The following table estimates the well-to-wheel GHG emissions associated with a 100-mile trip in four comparable compact sedans, based on the national average for electricity production emissions. Vehicle GHG Emissions (pounds of CO2 equivalent) EV 54 lb CO2e PHEV 62 lb CO2e HEV 57 lb CO2e Conventional Gasoline 87 lb CO2e The Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicle Data Center (AFDC) Compare Electricity Sources and Annual Vehicle Emissions tool (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/electric_emissions.php) allows users to determine an estimate for annual well-to-wheel GHG emissions for an EV, PHEV, HEV, and conventional gasoline vehicle based on the electricity production fuel mix in their area.

In addition, Fueleconomy.gov and EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide (http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/Index.do) provide annual emissions estimates for individual vehicle models.

Thanks to the ICF Technical Response Service for another great Q&A!