Vermont Clean Cities Newsletter

August 2012
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Welcome to the VTCCC Newsletter:

Your clearing house for news, programs, and funding information related to reducing the consumption of petroleum for transportation in Vermont.

 

Upcoming Events

 

Inequality, Myth, and the American Automobile System

Catherine Lutz, Brown University

Sept. 25, 2012, 4:00-5:30pm

Billings North Lounge, UVM

 

Natural Gas Vehicle Technology Forum Meeting

Oct. 16-17, 2012

La Jolla, California

Registration information can be found here

 

National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey

Oct. 18, 2012, 11:00am-2:00pm

Church Street Marketplace, Burlington

Biennial event dedicated to promoting cleaner choices in transportation.

For more info, or if you would like to display a vehicle, contact Tom McGrath

 

Free Biodiesel Training Webinars

August 29: Biodiesel Selling Points & Service Advisories for Dealers

September 12: Key Biodiesel Industry Updates for Light Duty Vehicle Dealers & Drivers

September 25: Voice of the Customer - Fleet Experience with Biodiesel

Register by clicking on the appropriate session link above. For more information, contact Jennifer Weaver. 

 

Climate Action Seminar: Responding to the New Normal

Fall 2012 Seminar Series

Sponsored by the UVM Clean Energy Fund and the UVM Environmental Program

A weekly seminar featuring guest speakers

Mondays 4:05-5:20 pm in Lafayette 207, UVM

Click here for more info.   

 

Government Green Fleet Award  

Open to all Federal, State, and Local Government Fleets in North America 

Applications due September 3 

Click here to apply  

 

Fleet Survey

This brief survey from Automotive Training Solutions Green Fleet Committee is designed to help with the development of new and improved green fleet and fleet management programs and services for you and other fleet professionals.

Please complete the survey by Thursday, September 6, 2012
DOE News

 

Energy Department Investments to Develop Lighter, Stronger Materials for Greater Vehicle Fuel Economy

Replacing cast iron and traditional steel components with lightweight materials allows vehicle manufacturers to include additional safety devices, integrated electronic systems and emissions control equipment on vehicles without increasing their weight.   

 

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Make Rapid Progress in Range, Durability

NREL analyzed data from 500,000 individual vehicle trips covering 3.6 million miles. 

 

Vermont News

 

Vermont Clean Cities Hosts EV Owners cake  

Luncheon

EV owners displayed their vehicles and gathered to discuss their experiences buying, driving, and charging their cars. 

 

With the new system, you can just print out your ticket at home or show the conductor your phone with the e-mail from Amtrak. 

  

Under the program, the state allocates up to $2 million in federal money toward projects to expand bicycle and pedestrian accessibility. 

 

National News

 

Frito-Lay Closes in on 300-EV Fleet

The deployment will give Frito-Lay the largest commercial fleet of all-electric trucks in the country. 

 

GE Capital Fleet Services Launches New Interactive Website Focused on Alternative Fuels and Sustainability

The new website provides interactive tools that allow visitors to learn more about how GE Capital Fleet Services helps customers reduce costs, improve fleet performance and increase productivity via alternative fuel strategies. 

 

 50 city-owned fleet vehicles - including 25 Nissan Leaf EVs and other plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles - will be outfitted with Zipcar's proprietary car sharing technology for use by city employees across numerous departments.  

 

The decision is a result on an ongoing effort by both organizations to decrease our country's reliance on imported oil, preserve air quality in the parks, and promote the use of domestic resources.

 

Electric Car Chargers Coming to Congress 

The sponsors of the legislation hope the stations will act as incentives for staffers considering purchasing electric cars.    

 

$2,500 Tax Break for Electric Bicycles,  

Motorcycles Approved by Feds

The goal of the bill, backers say, is to create and keep U.S. jobs by encouraging growth of American manufacturers like BRD and Zero through consumer incentives.  

International News

 

Scotland's first-ever hydrogen buses could be operating in less than two years after the First Minister announced funding for a fleet of the new vehicles.  

    

 Vancouver City Fleet Adding Mitsubishi Electric Vehicles

 The City of Vancouver is acquiring 13 Mitsubishi i-MiEV all-electric hatchbacks. Mitsubishi says this order is the largest of its kind since the i-MiEV launched in Canada in December 2011.   

 

REVA NXR could compete with Leaf in India, then launch globally
Mahindra Reva, an electric vehicle company based in India, is rolling out an all-new version of its Reva NXR, this one capable of seating four adults comfortably in the small car.

     

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES


Municipal Park-and-Rides Program

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is soliciting proposals for the creation of small Park-and-Ride Facilities in Vermont communities. The 2013 Municipal Park-and-Ride Grant Program has been funded with $250,000.00. These facilities will assist in the effort of reducing the number of single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) on the roadway, which in turn helps to reduce vehicle pollutants and traffic congestion. In order to be eligible for this grant, the proposed facility must be located on Municipality or State owned land, on or near a State Highway, available to commuters on a daily basis year round, provide parking for a minimum of ten vehicles, and will be owned and maintained by the local municipality. The grant funding is available for engineering and construction activities. If public transit is present nearby, collaboration with the provider is encouraged. Applications are due 08/31/12. For more info contact Wayne Davis or click here.   

 

Safe Route to School Infrastructure Program

We are pleased to announce that VTrans is now accepting applications for the 2012 VT Safe Routes to School infrastructure program. The goal of the program is to remove barriers that deter students from walking and bicycling to school in Vermont through the planning, design and construction of infrastructure projects.

 

Eligible projects must be located within approximately 2 miles of a school that includes at least one grade in the range K-8. The school must be signed up as a Partner of the VT Safe Routes to School Resource Center and must have a School Travel Plan that has been updated within the last 3 years. Applications are due 10/26/12. For more info contact Patti Coburn or click here.  


Environmental Education Regional Grants  

Under this solicitation EPA is seeking grant proposals from eligible applicants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers, and citizens. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques, as described in this notice, and that will serve as models that can be replicated in a variety of settings. Under this solicitation EPA expects to award environmental education grants from the 10 EPA Regional offices.

 

Grantees that receive awards under this solicitation must establish methods to document and report measurable results from grant projects. To ensure that grant proposals are competitive, applicants should carefully read Sections IV and V regarding how to structure a proposal and what criteria will be used to evaluate proposals. EPA receives a large number of grant applications under this program and can fund just a small percentage of those applications received. Applications are due 11/21/12. For more info contact Kristen Conroy or click here.    

  

Go Vermont Grassroots Grants For Energy Committees

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) Public Transit Section is offering grants to municipalities to assist in building a statewide outreach and advocacy network for the Go Vermont Program (

www.connectingcommuters.org). VTrans will provide a $500 grant to participating municipal energy committees. Go Vermont is a web-based clearinghouse for all transportation modes in Vermont, featuring an automated carpool, vanpool and public transit matching service, a vanpool program, information for State Park and Ride locations, and a link to "511" traffic conditions. The project objectives are as follows:

  • Broaden Go Vermont outreach efforts
  • Build relationships with local committees and advocates
  • Identify local and regional transportation priorities and activities
  • Increase traffic to the Go Vermont website and tools (www.connectingcommuters.org)
  • Focus regional and local initiatives and advocacy efforts.
  • The ultimate goal of this program is to increase program awareness, carpool registrations, numbers of van-pools and general activity on the Go Vermont website.

For more information contact Ross MacDonald or click here. 

petrostats

Weekly

Petro-Stats


                         Gas at the Pump, VT        Crude Oil Futures 

 

Current                   $ 3.78/gallon                     $ 95.81 /barrel

One Month Ago       $ 3.57/gallon                     $ 88.31/barrel

One Year Ago          $ 3.66/gallon                     $ 85.54/barrel

Sources: Fuel Gauge Report, NYMEX


Best Regards,

Tom McGrath
Coordinator, Vermont Clean Cities Coalition  

Funding for the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition is provided by the US Department of Energy.