SACRAMENTO - The California Energy Commission today
approved funding of $4,963,000 to help bring natural gas-powered shuttle buses
and large trucks to California’s highways. The awards, funded from the
Commission's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program,
help to pay the difference between a conventional gasoline- or diesel-powered
vehicle and one powered by a much cleaner alternative fuel.
“By encouraging the use of natural gas-and
propane-powered vehicles, we are helping create jobs and reduce California’s
dependency on petroleum,” said Energy Commissioner Carla Peterman. “At the same
time, the use of cleaner-burning fuel helps to cut greenhouse gas emissions and
reduces other air pollutants, protecting the health and the environment of all
Californians. Individuals and businesses also will save money by using a
domestically produced, lower-cost alternative fuel.”
The Energy Commission already has awarded nearly $15.5
million to help public and private fleet operators as well as individual
consumers afford new alternative-fueled passenger vehicles and medium- and
heavy-duty buses and trucks. The on-road vehicles meet all the emission
requirements of the Air Resources Board and are fully warranted by the original
equipment manufacturer. “We are quite pleased by the response to this program.
The Energy Commission recently allocated an additional $15 million for these
sorts of natural gas and propane-powered vehicle incentives,” said Peterman.
To make the Energy Commission’s buy-down program as
efficient and simple as possible, the incentive reservations are awarded in
blocks to vehicle manufacturers or their designated dealers. The incentives are
passed on to the individual buyers at the point of sale. Applications from
manufacturers for the program are considered on a first-come, first-serve
basis. The incentives approved today go to these companies:
• Creative Bus
Sales (Chino) is awarded a total of $575,000 in incentives for 33 vehicles
manufactured by Champion Bus. Creative Bus Sales will use $15,000 to buy-down 5
natural gas-powered vans of up to 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight, and
$560,000 to help purchase 28 natural gas shuttle buses of 14,001 to 26,000
pounds gross vehicle weight.
• Rotolo
Chevrolet (Fontana) is awarded a total of $40,000 in incentives to buy-down 5
natural gas-powered commuter vans of 8,500 to 14,000 pounds gross vehicle
weight that are manufactured by General Motors.
• Nations Bus
Corporation (Inglewood) is awarded a total of $180,000 in incentives for 9
vehicles manufactured by the Diamond Coach Corp. The natural gas-powered vans
will be in the 14,001 to 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight range.
• Capacity of
Texas, Inc. (Longview, Texas) is awarded $1,280,000 in incentives to help
buy-down 40 heavy-duty natural gas-powered trucks in the 26,001 pounds and
greater gross vehicle weight range. The company is the original equipment
manufacturer of the vehicles.
• TEC of
California (Oakland, La Mirada and Fontana) is awarded $1,280,000 in incentives
to help buy-down 40 heavy-duty natural gas-powered trucks in the 26,001 pounds
and greater gross vehicle weight range. The vehicles are built by Mack Truck.
• Bridgeport
Truck Manufacturing (Bridgeport, Texas) is awarded $320,000 in incentives to
help buy-down 10 natural gas-powered trucks that they manufacture. The 10
trucks will be in the 26,001 pounds and greater gross vehicle weight range.
• West Coast Bus
Sales, Inc. (Oakland) is awarded a total of $380,000 in incentives for 25
vehicles manufactured by Tiffany Coachworks, Perris, California. West Coast Bus
Sales will use $80,000 to buy-down 10 natural gas-powered large vans in the
range of 8,501 to 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, and $300,000 to help
purchase 15 natural gas shuttle buses of 14,001 to 26,000 pounds gross vehicle
weight.
• West Coast Bus
Sales, Inc. (Oakland) is awarded $380,000 in incentives to help buydown 25
vehicles manufactured by Federal Coach. West Coast Bus Sales will use $80,000
to buy-down 10 natural gas-powered vans in the range of 8,501 to 14,000 pounds
gross vehicle weight, and $300,000 to buy-down 15 natural gas shuttle buses in
the range of 14,001 to 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
• Inland
Chevrolet (Hemet) is awarded $528,000 in incentives to help buy-down 66 General
Motors natural gas-powered vans in the range of 8,501 to 14,000 pounds gross
vehicle weight.
To benefit from the incentives, purchasers must agree to
operate the vehicles in California on the alternative fuel at least 90 percent
of the time for three years.
More information about the Alternative and Renewable
Fuels and Vehicle Technology Program is available at the Energy Commission’s
DRIVE website at: www.energy.ca.gov/drive
Parties interested in the program are encouraged to sign
up for the List serve at: www.energy.ca.gov/transportation
Assembly Bill 118 (Núñez, Chapter 750, Statutes of 2007)
created the California Energy Commission's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and
Vehicle Technology Program. The statute, amended by Assembly Bill 109 (Núñez,
Chapter 313, Statutes of 2008), authorizes the Energy Commission to develop and
deploy alternative and renewable fuels and advanced transportation technologies
to help achieve the state's climate change policies.
The California Energy Commission is the state's primary
energy policy and planning agency. Created by the Legislature in 1974 and
located in Sacramento, six basic responsibilities guide the Energy Commission
as it sets state energy policy: forecasting future energy needs; licensing
thermal power plants 50 megawatts or larger; promoting energy efficiency and
conservation by setting the state's appliance and building efficiency
standards; supporting public interest energy research that advances energy
science and technology through research, development, and demonstration
programs; developing renewable energy resources and alternative renewable
energy technologies for buildings, industry and transportation; planning for
and directing state response to energy emergencies.
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