FLEETS AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES THE FOCUS OF 2012 CLEAN FLEET TECHNOLOGIES CONFERENCE

WHAT:           As part of its Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles initiative, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is hosting the seventh annual Clean Fleet Technologies Conference:  Fueling the Choice. This year’s event offers interactive panel discussions and learning sessions focused on the latest and greatest in alternative fuels and fleet technologies.

                        Attendees will convene at CFTC to explore a broad range of topics, including but not limited to: funding opportunities for advanced vehicles, fleet maintenance and transportation, alternative fuel infrastructure developments and energy/transportation policy.

Additional CFTC offerings include exhibit hall displays, a vehicle “Ride & Drive” experience, alternative fueled equipment displays and a networking reception. Houston City Councilwoman Melissa Noriega will open the conference, with Jon Coleman, the Ford Motor Company Sustainability & Technology Officer, as the keynote speaker.

WHEN:          Thursday, November 15, 2012

Registration: 7:30 a.m.

Conference: 8:30 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Reception: 3:45 p.m.

                

WHERE:         George R. Brown Convention Center (Downtown Houston)

                        1001 Avenida De Las Americas

                        Houston, TX 77010

COST:            $75 per attendee

School district staff and elected officials’ fees are waived.

                             

REGISTER:   To register for CFTC, visit www.houston-cleancities.org/2012_CFTC.htm.

Sponsorship opportunities available at www.houston-cleancities.org/2012_CFTC_sponsor.htm.

For sponsorship information call Claire Quinn at 713-970-2112 or email Claire.Quinn@edelman.com

                            

                            

MORE:           About Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles

The Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles Program serves the Houston-Galveston area, including Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller counties. The primary goal of the Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles Program is to reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and particulate matter (PM) emissions. This program also seeks to maximize the use of clean fuel vehicles (low emissions) operating within the Houston region in order to improve air quality, achieve energy independence and stimulate economic growth.

Florida’s Top Energy Official Touts Facility That Could Lead to Largest CNG Network Outside of California

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s top energy official, Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Commissioner Adam Putnam, today hailed the opening of Nopetro LLC’s state-of-the-art compressed natural gas (CNG) facility, which for the first time offers Florida and the Southeast the prospect of a viable natural gas solution not seen anywhere outside of California. The station is part of a planned regional network that will make CNG a workable cost-saving option for government and commercial fleets as well as individual CNG vehicle owners.

When Nopetro’s first-of-its-kind network of stations is completed, Putnam said, the private fleets of heavy freight vehicles that move Florida’s consumer goods will have a practical way to traverse the state and region fueled by CNG. This will produce tremendous cost savings, which will benefit consumers and the area’s economy, and as individual stations are built local schools and governments will be able to enjoy significant cost savings that will benefit the taxpayers, he said.

Putnam praised Nopetro and the Leon County School District for forging a partnership to produce substantial cost savings for public schools while setting a positive, environmentally friendly example for students.
“This partnership is exactly what our Legislature had in mind when it established natural gas as a key component of the state’s transportation policies,” Putnam said. “A network of natural gas fueling stations in major cities across our state will encourage commercial fleets and individual consumers to make the move into Florida’s energy future.”

The Tallahassee facility – the largest and most expansive CNG fueling operation on the East Coast of the United States – is the product of an innovative partnership between the public and private sectors. The school district is transforming its entire fleet of diesel-powered school buses to CNG, and other public and private consumers may also fuel their CNG vehicles at the station. A portion of each sale will benefit the school district thanks to the partnership with Nopetro.

“This is truly a day worth celebrating – a big step forward in the journey toward independence from expensive foreign fuels,” said Jorge Herrera, co-founder and CEO of Nopetro, which has offices in Tallahassee and Miami. “Nopetro epitomizes the American dream of hard work producing results, and we are proud to be leading the way both here in Tallahassee and across Florida and the Southeast.”

Nopetro identified 18 additional cities it is targeting over the next three years, including Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Key Largo, Miami, Ocala, Orlando, Pensacola, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Tampa and West Palm Beach in Florida, and Atlanta, Macon and Savannah in Georgia.
This network of stations will make it possible for heavy truck traffic, local government vehicles and school buses to convert to natural gas, a fuel source that is domestically abundant and at least 25 percent cheaper and 33 percent cleaner than diesel fuel. At the start of last week (September 17), the nationwide average price of gasoline was 37 percent more expensive than natural gas and diesel was 46 percent more expensive, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

CNG is widely recognized as an ideal fuel alternative to gasoline and diesel. In addition to the fact that it is substantially cheaper and cleaner than petroleum-based fuels, the United States has one of the largest supplies of natural gas in the world.

Nopetro designs, builds, finances, operates and maintains turn-key natural gas fueling stations and supplies its customers with CNG and LNG fuel. The company also helps its customers obtain local, state and federal incentives and grants, and helps customers acquire and finance natural gas vehicles.

For more information, including a downloadable picture of the new Nopetro station, go to www.nopetro.com.

Emerald Automotive Unveils World’s First Electric Delivery Van Designed to Carry 3,000 lbs

ST. LOUIS, Mo. –Emerald Automotive recently unveiled its new electric delivery van, the world’s first extended range electric delivery van for fleets that does not compromise payload—allowing companies to haul the same amount of product in electric vehicles that is usually hauled in conventional delivery vans.

 View photos of the Emerald t-001

Last year, Emerald announced plans to manufacture its custom-built electric delivery vans in Hazelwood. The $175 million plant will bring about 600 jobs to the northwest suburb of St. Louis.

“This vehicle has been specifically designed for fleet customers who drive 100 miles or more each day,” says Andy Tempest, CEO of Emerald. “These customers are spending a lot of money on gas, and they have requested an electric vehicle that won’t compromise on payload.”

With its 3,000 lb capacity, the Emerald t-001 will be similar to a traditional delivery van, but with a 60-mile range in electric mode and a 400-mile range using its seven-gallon gas tank, the van will reduce emissions by up to 80 percent and cut costs for companies with large fleets. And with fewer moving parts than purely gasoline-powered vans, Emerald’s hybrid electric van also will likely save on trips to the mechanic and repair costs.

“A lot of electric delivery vehicles are so heavy they can’t haul much,” says Gary Marble, director of sales and communication at Emerald. “We’re bringing companies what they expect in a delivery vehicle, and it costs far less to operate.”

Though the t-001 prototype unveiled this month was designed, built and tested in the United Kingdom, Emerald will produce the vehicle at its Hazelwood facility within the next two years. The company’s goal is to build 10,000 electric vans a year for fleet customers. The company will also be targeting fleet customers in the European market.

About The Missouri Partnership

The Missouri Partnership is a public-private, non-profit corporation with the principal mission of recruiting new business investment to the state.  Through collaborative efforts with state and local partners, the Missouri Partnership works to attract new companies and market the state’s business advantages to U.S. and international companies.  For more information, please visit www.missouripartnership.com.

Idaho awarded over $626,000 in EPA clean air grants to retrofit school buses and construction equipment

(Seattle—Oct. 11, 2012) The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality was awarded grants totaling up to $626,000 to retrofit school bus engines and construction equipment with the goal of reducing harmful toxic pollutants from diesel emissions. The funds were awarded in two grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emissions Reductions Program.

The funds will be used to retrofit over 40 school buses and construction equipment with technology that will reduce diesel emissions. The projects will reduce the exposure of school-age children to diesel emissions from school buses. The program area includes areas of medium and high population density, as well as small towns in rural areas.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $30 million nationwide for clean diesel projects as part of its ongoing campaign to reduce harmful diesel exhaust that can lead to asthma attacks and premature deaths.

The Diesel Emission Reduction Program, also known as DERA, is designed to replace, retrofit or repower older diesel-powered engines like marine vessels, locomotives, trucks and buses.

Diesel engines are durable, fuel-efficient workhorses in the American economy. However, older diesel engines that predate newer, cleaner standards emit large amounts of air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). These pollutants are linked to health problems, including asthma, lung and heart disease and premature death. The clean diesel projects funded through these grants will work to address the more than 11 million older diesel engines that continue to emit higher levels of pollution.

In this year’s competition, winners were selected based on a proposal’s potential for maximizing health and environmental benefits by targeting areas that have significant air quality issues. Reduced air pollution from diesel engines in these areas can have a direct and significant impact on community health.

DERA was enacted in 2005 and since it was first funded in FY 2008, EPA has awarded over 500 grants nationwide. These projects have reduced hundreds of thousands of tons of air pollution and saved millions of gallons of fuel.

More on the grants and the National Clean Diesel Campaign: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel

---

EPA Awards $30 Million for Clean Diesel Projects

ATLANTA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding a combined $3.42 million to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environment Control and the Alabama State Port Authority for clean diesel projects as part of its ongoing campaign to reduce harmful diesel exhaust that can lead to asthma attacks and premature deaths.   

The Diesel Emission Reduction Program, also known as DERA, is designed to replace, retrofit or repower older diesel-powered engines like marine vessels, locomotives, trucks and buses.

Diesel engines are durable, fuel-efficient workhorses in the American economy. However, older diesel engines that predate newer, cleaner standards emit large amounts of air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). These pollutants are linked to health problems, including asthma, lung and heart disease and premature death. The clean diesel projects funded through these grants will work to address the more than 11 million older diesel engines that continue to emit higher levels of pollution.

In this year’s competition, winners were selected based on a proposal’s potential for maximizing health and environmental benefits by targeting areas that have significant air quality issues.  Reduced air pollution from diesel engines in these areas can have a direct and significant impact on community health. 

New this year is an increased funding availability per award that will allow EPA to target larger engines used in marine vessels and locomotives, which will result in significant emissions reduced per engine.

 
DERA was enacted in 2005 and since it was first funded in FY 2008, EPA has awarded over 500 grants nationwide. These projects have reduced hundreds of thousands of tons of air pollution and saved millions of gallons of fuel.

More on the grants and the National Clean Diesel Campaign: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel

CEI & NCSFA Cosponsoring Fleet Accident Prevention Webinar

Trevose, PA, October 11, 2012 -- The CEI Group, Inc. (CEI) and the National Conference of State Fleet Administrators (NCSFA) are co-sponsoring a webinar next week titled, “Yes, You Can Prevent Fleet Accidents.”     

The webinar will be held Thursday, October 18, from 1:00 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. Central Time (2:00 P.M. - 3:30 Eastern, 11:00 .A.M. -1:30 P.M. Pacific).  Registration is free to all.  To register, go to www.ncsfa.wildapricot.org.

Brian Kinniry, CEI’s manager of risk and safety services, will give a wide-ranging presentation about the true costs of fleet accidents, explain the role of driver behavior in causing accidents, and review the key components of safety programs that have reduced fleet accidents by 30 to 40 percent.  A question and answer period for webinar attendees will follow.

Mr. Kinniry will be introduced by Kathi Croze, CEI national manager of government accounts, an NCSFA member and past NCSFA corporate liaison.

About The CEI Group, Inc. (CEI)

CEI is a leading provider of technology-enhanced vehicle accident, driver safety and fleet risk management services.  Its provider network consists of some 4,000 collision repair shops in North America, and includes nearly 900 truck collision repair centers.  Its customers include self-insured, commercial, institutional and government fleets, directly and through alliances with fleet leasing companies.  CEI also provides vehicle direct repair program outsourcing to leading property and casualty insurance companies.

Founded in 1983, CEI has headquarters near Philadelphia, PA, and field sales offices in Trevose, PA, Tulsa, OK, and Lake in the Hills, IL. In 2000, CEI launched the DriverCare™ line of services, which include fleet risk management, MVR ordering and compliance, on-line and behind-the-wheel driver safety training and a safety newsletter. For more information about CEI, visit www.ceinetwork.com.