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.
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