CVAG Electric Vehicle Survey

The Coachella Valley Association of Governments writes:

With the high price of fossil fuels and the growing investment in electricity from renewable sources, more people are thinking about buying electric vehicles. Electric vehicle sales are expected to multiply rapidly over the next five years, especially here in California. We want to be ready to accommodate the cleanest cars on the market in the Coachella Valley. A world-class resort area like ours deserves a state-of-the-art transportation system with the latest electric vehicle technology and benefits of electricity as a transportation fuel.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

~ To identify public interest in purchasing an electric car.

~ To identify the need and potential locations for charging stations in the region.

To help, you can complete this survey for the Coachella Valley PEV Readiness Project.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp.

Excerpts from The Wall Street Transcript interview with Andrew J. Littlefair, Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Clean Energy Fuels Corp.

What excites me is that in United States we now have the engine technology, we have the resources, and Clean Energy is building the nationwide station infrastructure from coast to coast and border to border. I don't think it's a matter of if this is going to happen — it's a matter of when it's going to happen. And so we've been through the difficult sorting out period, now we have economics on our side. And I'm watching it happen and I'm watching some of the toughest areas, like the refuse industry, convert to natural gas. If we can go from getting them to buy 3% of their new trash trucks on natural gas five years ago to 60% this year, it's working. Now I look out at this big new market of heavy-duty trucking and its 25-billion-gallon opportunity, it gets me very excited. And in the process, you'll do something really powerful for the country.

Natural Gas Vehicles can achieve President Obama’s goal of energy independence

From Natural Gas Vehicles For America:

February 13, 2013. In this evening's State of the Union address, President Obama recognized yet again the impact that America's huge natural gas supply is having on our country. The President said that "We produce more natural gas than ever before" and "the natural gas boom has led to…greater energy independence."

To help accelerate that shift toward energy independence, the President said that "tonight, I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good."

"This would be a welcomed step," said Richard Kolodziej, president of NGVAmerica. "Through more research and development, natural gas vehicles will get even more efficient, more cost-effective and cleaner. However, we don't have to wait for the results of new research and new technology. Efficient, cost-effective and clean natural gas vehicles are available today. American-made vehicles, using natural gas produced right here, already are displacing significant volumes of foreign oil. The use of natural gas vehicles in light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty applications is rapidly growing today. We have been encouraged by the President's past statements in support of natural gas vehicles. With supportive government policies, natural gas vehicle use could grow even faster—accelerating the reduction in our dependence on foreign oil, which would help keep more money and jobs, currently sent out of the country, right here at home."

NGV America Comments On The State Of The Union Address

A press release from NGV America:

Natural Gas Vehicles Can Achieve President Obama's Goal of Energy Independence

WASHINGTON, D.C. — February 12, 2013 — In this evening's State of the Union address, President Obama recognized yet again the impact that America's huge natural gas supply is having on our country. The President said "We produce more natural gas than ever before' and "the natural gas boom has led to … greater energy independence." To help accelerate that shift toward energy independence, the President said that "tonight, I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good."

"This would be a welcomed step," said Richard Kolodziej, president of NGVAmerica. "Through more research and development, natural gas vehicles will get even more efficient, more cost-effective and cleaner. However, we don't have to wait for the results of new research and new technology. Efficient, cost-effective and clean natural gas vehicles are available today. American-made vehicles, using natural gas produced right here, already are displacing significant volumes of foreign oil. The use of natural gas vehicles in light- duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty applications is rapidly growing today. We have been encouraged by the President's past statements in support of natural gas vehicles. With supportive government policies, natural gas vehicle use could grow even faster – accelerating the reduction in our dependence on foreign oil, which would help keep more money and jobs, currently sent out of the country, right here at home."

Interview With T. Boone Pickens

From August 2012 at DC Velocity.

People think it's a free market for oil. It's not a free market for oil. OPEC sets the prices. Twenty million barrels come through the Strait of Hormuz every day. Only 7 percent of that goes to the United States. But we have our military over there to protect that. According to a study by the Milken Institute, we spent $7 trillion from 1978 to 2010 on Mideast oil. A great part of that was military spending, but it's still connected to the price of oil.

In the last 10 years, we have transferred $1 trillion of wealth to OPEC oil producers. That's the largest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind. If this continues for the next 10 years, assuming a price of $100 a barrel, it will cost $2.5 trillion. This is not sustainable.

Electric Vehicle Survey For Coachella Valley

CVAG asks residents for electric vehicle opinions
Written by K Kaufmann

The Coachella Valley Association of Governments has started work on a regional electric vehicle preparedness plan and is seeking public input with an online survey to gauge residents’ interest in electric vehicles and future needs for public charging stations.

CVAG received a $200,000 grant from the California Energy Commission to prepare the plan, which will include regional guidelines for electric vehicle charging stations and other infrastructure. The survey will help CVAG identify the best places for charging stations and estimate costs for installations.

Electric car sales are projected to increase over the next decade as gas prices rise and regulations come into effect requiring car manufacturers to cut smog emissions from new vehicles by 75 percent by 2025. California could have 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by then.

The electric vehicle survey is available online at coachellapev.metroquest.com/.

NGV Fueling Infrastructure Update

American Clean Skies Foundation has released its 2013 update on natural gas vehicle fueling infrastructure in the United States. "It provides more than 20 pages of new information on who is building NGV fueling infrastructure, along with more detail on where and how this infrastructure is being added and government policies pertaining to the development of NGV fueling infrastructure." You can download the 3.4MB PDF here.

Even Beverly Hills Is Doing It

The City of Beverly Hills has built a new CNG station at a cost of $1.2 million. That includes a grant of $550,000 from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The city, which has 12 CNG vehicles expects its investment to be paid back in 5 or 6 years by reduced fuel costs. "With the price of diesel climbing, and no end in sight, it was necessary that we do something to control these costs," said Mayor William Brien.

A Call For Innovation At The Local Level

Mark Mathis, director/producer of the documentary spOILed, has written an opinion piece in the Albuquerque Journal in which he calls for state governments to create a market-driven infrastructure for natural gas transportation. He says the federal government is hopelessly dysfunctional.

As a specific example of what is needed, he cited Aztec Well Service in New Mexico, which wants to convert its entire fleet and drilling rigs to natural gas. To do that, the Gas Company Of New Mexico will need to build a 3½ mile pipeline at a cost of $620,000 to $850,000. Mr. Mathis said the pipeline should be financed by the gas company's customers through its rates. He said the resulting boost to the state's economy will pay the money back one hundredfold.

Here's a link to the trailer for Mr. Mathis' documentary, spOILed.