Fracknation

From Fracknation...

Dear friends:

Well, what a few weeks we've had. It seems there's the only thing anti-fracking activists dislike more than fracking is difficult questions.

And they really don't like those questions coming from ordinary Americans.

• Phelim [McAleer] was supposed to attend the world premiere of Gasland 2 at the Tribeca Film Festival and write a review for the New York Post. He asked some tough questions of Josh Fox on the red carpet, and Tribeca staff barred him, Ann McElhinney, and a group of farmers from entering the screening--even though everyone had tickets! See the video on our YouTube channel.
• The New York Times picked up the story when Tribeca claimed that the farmers and filmmakers weren't allowed in because the screenings were sold out. But FrackNation posted exclusive video showing the REAL reason: "We just don't feel comfortable letting them into the movie."
• Andrew Revkin of The New York Times also wrote about the incident at Tribeca and called their reason for barring farmers "dubious." He added, "I feel bad for the blocked residents of the country’s gas lands."
• The Hollywood Reporter reported that a Russian journalist was even arrested(!) at Tribeca for trying to cover the story of the festival keeping us out of the screening. So Josh Fox and the establishment don't want filmmakers and farmers questioning their documentaries, but they especially don't want journalists questioning their exclusionry policies.

Apart from this drama we've been busy pushing out FrackNation:

• Ann screened the film and gave a talk at the 2013 Pennsylvania Leadership Conference.
• FrackNation screenings are happening all over the country! Recently we had a series of screenings in Illinois, Phelim went on a tour of Pennsylvania, and the Ohio screenings are ongoing across the state. We also have upcoming screenings in Colorado, New York, Montana, and other places! Check out the Screening page on our website for more information.
• Ann won the "Woman Warrior Award" at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference for her "visionary work and undaunted voice to further the cause of freedom." Tell her congrats on Facebook!
• Phelim will attend four FrackNation screenings in Pennsylvania and New York in early May: Jamestown NY, Franklin PA, Warren PA, and Lake Huntington NY. He'll answer questions after each screening. Check our website for details and to see other upcoming screenings.
• Reminder: We just released FrackNation: Extra Energy Edition, a special edition DVD with the full film PLUS 30 minutes of new footage and our TV spots.
• With the premiere of Gasland 2 there is going to be increased discussion of Fox's thoroughly debunked original documentary. We need all the help we can get to counter the media's coverage. Please join the conversations on our Facebook & Twitter pages.

Thanks for helping to spread the truth!

Phelim, Ann & Magdalena [Segieda]

Transit was the first to climb on-board

A USA Today article about the popularity of alternative fuels in city transit buses, one-third of which are powered by fuels other than diesel.

Half of the bus fleet for Lee County Transit in Florida is diesel-electric hybrids. They use 24% less fuel than their diesel buses. "A 35-foot diesel bus costs $316,188, vs. $549,041 for the basic hybrid package," but the agencies marketing manager says that is recouped through lower fuel costs and reduced brake and engine maintenance.

"Some transit agencies were 'early adopters' of the fuels, starting about two decades ago, and have demonstrated that they can be used with safety and efficiency."

Tesla vs. Clean Energy Fuels Corp.

An article comparing several aspects (including financial) Tesla Motors electric vehicles and Clean Energy Fuels plan for nationwide natural gas infrastructure for transportation.

• Tesla's stock price has more than doubled since it went public in 2010.
• Clean Energy Fuel's stock price has had peaks and valleys, but is at about the same price now as it was in 2008.

• In 2011 Tesla lost $2.53/share. In 2012 the loss was $3.69/share.
• In 2011 Clean Energy lost $0.68/share. In 2012 the loss was $1.16/share.

• 4,750 Tesla S models have been sold through the end of March 2013.
• Clean Energy Fuel deliveries in the 4th quarter of 2012 were up 25% from deliveries in the same quarter in 2011.

• The U.S. government has been pouring billions into EV manufacturers and battery research.
• The "Nat Gs Act" remains stuck in Congress.

• In today's market, the Tesla is dirty. 40% of grid electricity in the U.S. is generated by burning coal. Manufacturing the batteries for EVs requires the use of electricity as well.
• Natural gas is cheap, emits half as much CO2 as coal when burned, 30% less CO2 than gasoline or diesel, and none of the toxic particulate emissions of coal, gas or diesel.

The article recommends the natural gas/electric hybrid as the best engine architecture. Toyota produced just such a concept vehicle in 2008. It had a range of 250 miles, emitted zero toxic particulates, no plug-in, the car itself is affordable, and the fuel is cheap and domestic.

Natural Gas Use In Trucking Industry To Increase

A NY Times article identifies some elements in the expected growth:

• Cummins has started manufacturing big engines that will make long haul trucking on natural gas posible.
• UPS will expand its fleet of 18-wheelers that run on LPG to 800 vehicles by the end of 2014 - currently they have 112.
• Clean Energy Fuels plans to increase its number of natural gas stations from 70 to 100 to 120 by the end of this year.

Clean Cities Question Of The Month

Question of the Month: What are the federal emissions and fuel economy standards for current and future on-road vehicles? Have any related emissions and fuel regulations been passed recently?

Answer: Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards set requirements for new light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle models with the goal of improving the overall fuel efficiency and environmental impact. Fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles were introduced in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975; regulations were established for on-road vehicles beginning with Model Year (MY) 1978. EPCA grants the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority to regulate CAFE standards, with the requirement that new standards may not be proposed more than five model years at a time.

In 2010, NHTSA partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue the first joint program that includes both fuel economy requirements under NHTSA’s CAFE program and emissions standards under EPA’s GHG emissions program. Starting with MY 2012 vehicles, manufacturers are required to improve fleet-wide fuel economy and reduce fleet-wide GHG emissions by approximately 5% each year. By 2016, vehicles must meet an estimated combined average emissions level of no more than 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. If the industry met this carbon dioxide standard solely through fuel economy improvements, vehicles would have an average fuel economy of 35.5 miles per gallon (mpg). For more information, see the EPA fact sheet: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regulations/420f10014.pdf.

NHTSA and EPA established the CAFE and GHG emissions standards for MY 2017 through MY 2025 passenger cars and light-duty trucks in 2012 in two phases, which are broken down as follows:

	Model Years	Average Fleet-Wide Fuel Economy
Phase 1	MY 2017-MY 2021	40.3-41.0 mpg (by MY 2021)
Phase 2*	MY 2022-MY 2025	48.7-49.7 mpg (by MY 2025)

*Proposed, pending final rule

For more information, refer to the EPA fact sheet: http://www.epa.gov/oms/climate/documents/420f12051.pdf.

In 2011, NHTSA and EPA set the first-ever standards to reduce GHG emissions and improve fuel efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds). The standards cover MY 2014 through MY 2018 on-road vehicles and are tailored to each of three main regulatory subcategories:

• Combination tractors (also known as semi trucks);
• Heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans; and
• Vocational vehicles (such as delivery, refuse, and tow trucks; transit, shuttle, and school buses; and emergency vehicles).

The requirements provide flexibility through an emissions and fuel consumption credit system to help reduce the overall costs of the program and to allow manufacturers time to make necessary technological improvements.

For more information on fuel economy and GHG emissions standards, refer to the NHTSA CAFE – Fuel Economy (http://www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy/), EPA Transportation and Climate (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regulations.htm), and FuelEconomy.gov (http://fueleconomy.gov/) websites.

On March 29, 2013, EPA announced their Tier 3 Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards Program, which includes more stringent tailpipe emissions standards for non-methane organic gas (NMOG), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM); more stringent evaporative vehicle emissions; and lower sulfur content of gasoline. This proposal aligns vehicle standards with the GHG emissions standards outlined above, as well as the California Low Emission Vehicle Program (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/law/CA/6493), allowing automakers to sell the same vehicle models in every state. The standards would apply to light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger vehicles, and some heavy-duty vehicles and include different phase-in schedules based on vehicle class from MY 2017 to MY 2025. The proposed gasoline sulfur standard would make emission control systems more effective for both existing and new vehicles. For more information, refer to the proposed rule (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/documents/tier3/tier3-nprm-20130329.pdf) and the EPA Tier 3 Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards Program website (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/tier3.htm).

For more up-to-date information about federal and state vehicle standards, refer to the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Federal Incentives and Laws website (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/fed_summary).

Newest Issue Of Fuels Fix

Including:

• Nat Gas is Sweeping the Nation!
• ROUSH Update
• How to Build a CNG Station
• Minnesota's Biodiesel Green Room

Former CEO of Shell boosts natural gas use

From USGasVehicles.com

April 16, 2013. John Hofmeister, former CEO of Shell Oil Co, said the natural gas and oil industry can solve most of the nation's ills, at the 92nd Annual Gas Processors Association Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

Instead of fighting the politicians, the corporations or the environmentalists, the Republicans or the Democrats, the Red States or the Blue over what's wrong with the country, the U.S. just needs to produce more energy at home, starting with natural gas. Developing domestic gas resources can boost gross domestic product by 5% a year for the next 40 years, creating more jobs and powering the economy.

"Let's just produce more natural gas because we have it, because we can, because it's American productivity going to work. American workers going to their jobs, buying more things in this economy."

"We know what it takes to produce 70 Bcf/d [Billion Cubic Feet Per Day], where we are now. Why stop there? Let's set a target of a minimum of 100 Bcf/d. What would that mean to you? It's a realistic number, given the trillions of cubic feet that we know are available to us..."

Need higher prices to produce more gas? No problem, said Hofmeister.

"Imagine a world that craves natural gas. Let's start with the transportation vehicle market here at home." If the United States were able to eliminate 5 million b/d of imported oil and replace it with U.S.-grown natural gas, "we kiss OPEC goodbye and say, with all due respect, you have extorted enough money from American pocketbooks..."

Natural gas then would constitute "roughly one-third of the transport fuel that we would use every day in this country," with 12-13 Bcf/d used for compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for trucking and trains.

"Don't stop there," Hofmeister said. "LNG and CNG would be a whole new market nationwide that doesn't exist today. There are 250 million vehicles out there on the highways today. Over the course of the coming years they can be replaced as they retire with vehicles with flex-fuel engines, which can accept alcohol made from natural gas just as well as oil."

Hofmeister, who retired from Shell in 2008, has founded Citizens for Affordable Energy, and last week joined the Fuel Freedom Foundation Advisory Board.

Building a Cleaner and More Secure Energy Future

From The White House:

On March 15, President Obama traveled to the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois to discuss the Energy Security Trust that he announced in the 2013 State of The Union Address. The Trust, which builds on a proposal supported by a broad bipartisan coalition including retired military leaders, would provide a reliable stream of funding for critical, breakthrough research focused on developing cost-effective transportation alternatives to get our cars and trucks off oil.

The President's proposal sets aside $2 billion over 10 years and would support research into a wide range of cost-effective technologies – like advanced vehicles that run on electricity, homegrown biofuels, fuel cells, and domestically produced natural gas. Paired with other Administration policies, including our historic new fuel economy standards that are already saving families and businesses money at the pump, the Trust would help solidify America's position as a world leader in advanced transportation technology.

This represents just a snapshot of the Administration's Energy Security Trust proposal. For more information, read the White House blog on the Energy Security Trust. Also be sure to check out the President's recent weekly address on this proposal.

News & Events

New EPA Report: Initial Data Shows Significant Gains in Fuel Economy for 2012
The EPA released its annual report that tracks the fuel economy of vehicles sold in the United States, underscoring the major increases made in the efficiency of the vehicles Americans drive, reducing oil consumption and cutting carbon emissions. According to the report, EPA estimates that between 2007 and 2012 fuel economy values increased by 16 percent while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have decreased by 13 percent, and in 2012 alone the report indicates a significant one year increase of 1.4 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and trucks. In addition, compared to five years ago, consumers have twice as many hybrid and diesel vehicle choices, a growing set of plug-in electric vehicle options, and a six-fold increase in the number of car models with combined city/highway fuel economy of 30 mpg or higher.

President Obama Nominates New Energy Department and EPA Heads
President Obama on March 4 nominated Ernest Moniz to replace Steven Chu as Secretary of Energy, and Gina McCarthy to take over U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership from Lisa Jackson. Of his new Energy Secretary nominee, Obama said "Ernie knows that we can produce more energy and grow our economy while still taking care of our air, our water and our climate." In announcing McCarthy's nomination, President Obama called her a top environmental official in Massachusetts and Connecticut, where she helped design programs to expand energy efficiency and promote renewable energy. She previously served as the assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation.

Interior Department Approves Three Renewable Energy Projects in California and Nevada
As part of President Obama's all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand domestic energy production, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced on March 13 the approval of three major renewable energy projects that, when built, are expected to deliver 1,100 megawatts to the grid – enough to power more than 340,000 homes – and help support more than 1,000 jobs through construction and operations. Since 2009, Interior has approved 37 renewable energy projects, including 20 utility-scale solar facilities, 8 wind farms and 9 geothermal plants, with associated transmission corridors and infrastructure to connect to established power grids. When built, these projects will provide more than 11,500 megawatts of power, or enough electricity to power more than 3.8 million homes, and support an estimated 13,500 construction and operations jobs.

Obama Administration Holds 39-Million-Acre Oil and Gas Lease Sale in Central Gulf of Mexico
Taking the latest step in President Obama's efforts to continue to expand safe and responsible domestic energy production, the Department of the Interior recently held a nearly 39 million-acre oil and gas lease sale for the Central Gulf of Mexico. As part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy, domestic oil and gas production has grown each year the President has been in office, with domestic oil production currently higher than any time in two decades and natural gas production at its highest level ever.

Energy Department Partnerships Speed Advanced Vehicle Technologies
As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to speeding the transition to more sustainable energy sources that will help drive economic growth, the Energy Department on March 5 announced 16 major U.S. employers and two stakeholder groups have joined the Workplace Charging Challenge to give more American workers access to new transportation options, while another three U.S. corporations have joined the National Clean Fleets Partnership. These steps support President Obama's goal to drive new technology that offers more vehicle fueling options to American consumers, as highlighted in his State of the Union address. The Workplace Charging Challenge is a collaborative effort to increase the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging by tenfold in the next five years. The National Clean Fleets Partnership aims to speed the deployment of clean, energy-efficient vehicles and the infrastructure to support their widespread use.

Pickens' Presentation At The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit In Washington DC

From the BooneCam:

Since I launched the Pickens Plan in July 2008, I’ve gone coast to coast, made hundreds of speeches, been on I don’t know how many TV shows, and met thousands of individuals like you who insist that America end its dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

As you’ll see in this video, I took the Plan to Washington a few weeks ago and presented it to some of the country’s best minds at the fourth annual ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu introduced me to this group, which showcases transformational energy technologies.

You and I both know the transformational change that has landed in our laps. It’s America’s abundant natural gas resources! The only problem is Washington hasn’t taken this windfall and made it the cornerstone of a bigger, broader plan to get our country on its own resources.

Clean Cities Coachella Valley Region Joins Nationwide Call for Clean Fuels and Vehicles at Energy Independence Summit 2013 in Washington, D.C.

Coalition's Local Initiatives Show Promise of Shift to Alternative Fuels and Vehicles

Representatives from the Clean Cities Coachella Valley Region (C3VR) will join clean transportation leaders from across the nation next week in Washington, DC to educate federal policy makers about the need to expand America's use of alternative fuels, including biofuels, electricity, natural gas, and propane autogas. Leaders from the C3VR will participate in Energy Independence Summit 2013, the nation's premier clean transportation policy event, on April 7-10.

"We continue to send more than $1 billion a day to OPEC and other nations for oil," Cromwell states. "We're going to Washington to make sure our representatives understand that we must aggressively expand our use of alternativesto petroleum-based fuel if we're to stabilize gas prices, decrease our reliance on foreign oil, improve public health, and maintain and create domestic jobs in the energy industry."

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are now more than 900,000 alternative fuel vehicles on the road in the United States and nearly 15,000 alternative fueling stations. In the Coachella Valley, thanks in large part to private sector partners like Clean Energy Fuels, drivers have many clean fueling options available including a network of publicly accessible natural gas stations. Electric vehicle charging stations, propane and hydrogen fuel are also available.

The Coachella Valley is an early leader in clean transportation. SunLine Transit Agency was the first in the nation to park 100% of its diesel fleet and deploy a fleet of clean burning natural gas vehicles. The valley has similarly led efforts to commercialize hydrogen fuel cell buses; natural gas refuse trucks, streetsweepers, postal vehicles, delivery trucks, school buses and natural gas taxicabs. In 2010, the first natural gas powered ambulance and medic unit was tested in the Coachella Valley and in 2011, C3VR co-hosted the inaugural First Responder Safety Training Train-the-Trainer Workshop. Most recently, C3VR co-facilitated an application by two public agencies and two local non-profits to procure grant funds to upgrade a local natural gas station and purchase 17 additional clean fueled vehicles.

Transportation Energy Partners (TEP), the Summit organizer, reports that Summit participants will have the opportunity to interact with top Administration officials, including the President's top advisor on energy and climate change, as well as leaders from the Departments of Energy, Defense, Agriculture, Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, Summit participants will take their message about the need for ongoing federal support for alternatives to petroleum-based fuelsto more than 200 Congressional offices.

"American industry has demonstrated the ability to produce high performing technology to meet the demand for alternatives to petroleum fuel, stated Sam Spofforth, President of Transportation Energy Partners (TEP). "However, insufficient and inconsistent government incentives and support hinder companies' ability to make the long-term investments required to sustain these clean transportation solutions. We need stable and predictable federal investments to enable fleets and technology developers to make sound long-term planning and investment decisions."

About Coachella Valley Clean Cities Region: Clean Cities Coachella Valley Region (C3VR) leads a local geographically-based coalition composed of local fleets, fuel providers, and policymakers that focus on two united goals: petroleum and greenhouse gas reduction. C3VR's jurisdictional boundaries include the County of Riverside, cities of Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, and surrounding desert communities.

About Transportation Energy Partners: Transportation Energy Partners (TEP) is national non-profit organization that brings Clean Cities coalition leaders together with the clean transportation industry to advance policies that will reduce American dependence on petroleum-based fuels. TEP works closely with and provides policy support to the nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions and their 13,000 stakeholders in 46 states. Since 1993, the Clean Cities coalitions have played a leading role in implementing local programs and projects to deploy alternative fuels, vehicles, and infrastructure. The Clean Cities coalitions and their stakeholders have displaced nearly 4.5 billion gallons of petroleum through the use of alternative fuels and vehicles, hybrid-electric vehicles, idle reduction technologies, fuel economy, and low-level fuel blends.

Clean Vehicles Buyer's Guide 2013

The guide a is 36-page, 3.3 MB PDF prepared by the Department of Energy. There are three CNG vehicles available directly from the OEM: Honda Civic Natural Gas; Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana; and the Vehicle Production Group MV-1.

Ford offers CNG prep packages for these vehicles: E-150, E-250, E-350 vans, F-250, F-350 pickups, and its Transit Connect.

The report also includes propane, all-electric, hybrid, ethanol flex-fuel, and biodiesel vehicles. GM and Ford offer propane-fueled vehicles.