Tuesday, November 23, 2010

A Citizen's Guide To Lobbying

PDF guide to how to influence your elected representatives.

DOE Question Of The Month - New Fuels & Technologies

Question of the Month - November 2010

QUESTION: Where can I find information about new fuels and technologies in the research, development, and initial deployment phases?

ANSWER: Like commercialized alternative fuels and advanced technologies, new fuels and technologies in development can provide benefits such as reduced petroleum consumption, improved vehicle performance, and reduced emissions. However, it is often difficult to find reliable information about these emerging fuels and technologies. Below we have included relevant resources that can provide valuable information to you and your stakeholders.


Fuels

The Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) Emerging Fuels web site highlights several fuels that are in the early development stages. Currently, the site highlights

New information and fuel categories are continually being added to that site.

Please note that some developing/emerging fuels are not considered "alternative fuels" according to the Energy Policy Act of 1992. While fuels that do not meet these criteria may be valuable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels, they may not be eligible for certain incentives and regulatory programs. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has the authority to designate additional alternative fuels through a petition and rulemaking process. For example, DOE currently maintains an open docket on a rulemaking to designate FTD. Go here for more information on the petition process.

Also, remember that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations require that each manufacturer or importer of gasoline, diesel, or a fuel additive register the product through the Fuels and Fuel Additives Program prior to its commercial introduction. Additional information about this program and listings of registered fuels and fuel additives are available on the EPA web site.


Technologies

The AFDC Vehicles web site highlights vehicle technologies that are designed to reduce petroleum consumption. For example, the AFDC Idle Reduction web site contains information on commercialized and emerging technologies related to vehicle idle reduction.

In addition, the EPA also administers two separate programs to evaluate retrofit vehicle technologies, one for light-duty vehicle retrofits (Gas Saving and Aftermarket Retrofit Device Evaluation Program) and one for heavy-duty diesel vehicle retrofits (Diesel Retrofit Technology Verification Program). Additional information about these programs and listings of verified technologies are available on the EPA web site.


Other Information Sources

Academia and industry, as well as federal, state, and local government agencies, are always conducting new research on emerging fuels and technologies. In particular, DOE national laboratories are at the forefront of this work. Examples of their research can be found at the following national laboratory web sites:

You may also reference research published in peer-reviewed or other industry publications for unbiased information on new petroleum reduction strategies. Scientific search engines, such as Science Direct, are a great place to start.

The TRS stays up-to-date on new technologies and fuels and is available to answer specific fuel- and technology-related questions. You may also contact the TRS with other questions, or if you have suggestions for additional resources or a future Question of the Month.

Do you have a question that needs an answer? Contact:

Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735

NGV Co-op Announcement

Information from Southern California Gas:
A new service is available. Check out the Natural Gas Vehicle Cooperative website at www.ngvcoop.org. This site has all of the available light and medium duty natural gas vehicles listed.

The Natural Gas Vehicle Cooperative seeks to ease the purchase process for natural gas vehicles. The specifications for these vehicles were sent out to the Ford, Chevrolet and Honda dealerships in California. A competitive bid process was held. The vehicle prices and the dealerships are listed on the website. All of the vehicles use CARB certified conversion kits.

The NGV Co-op website.

PDF list of NGV for sale.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

U.S. Dept of Energy Technical Assistance Program Webinar about RETScreen

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Technical Assistance Program (TAP) for state and local officials, this Webinar discussed RETScreen, which is a leading online software tool that can help state and local officials quickly conduct feasibility analyses for clean energy projects. This software is relatively easy to use and is free of charge. It can therefore significantly reduce the expense associated with identifying and assessing potential energy projects.

The costs of conducting pre-feasibility and feasibility studies are significant for many state and local government officials and, as a result, can represent a substantial barrier to the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Lowering these cost barriers allows RETScreen users to better compete in the clean technology marketplace.

The presentation as a PDF.

Audio recording of the conference.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Hi and Welcome!

Hi and welcome to The Clean Cities Coachella Valley Region Information Exchange. This blog helps stakeholders of the Coachella Clean City Region keep current with what's happening in the alternative fuels world. It's a rapidly changing world and there is a lot going on!

As we attend meetings and find information that might help you with your decision making process, we'll post the digital recordings and PowerPoint presentations. Plus from time to time, we'll add other items of interest. We hope this information is helpful and we look forward to your comments. Thanks.