Indiana's Resource for Clean Transportation
Improving air quality since 1999
April 2021
Join us Aug. 10 at our Annual Conference & Expo
Register now for the South Shore Clean Cities Annual Conference & Expo! We'll be back at the Blue Chip Stardust Event Center in Michigan City, Indiana on August 10 for our must-attend event with indoor vehicle displays, two expo halls, breakout sessions & our annual awards ceremony. Become a sponsor or exhibitor & get your brand in front of the top decision makers in the industry. Higher levels of sponsorship yield greater perks. Don't miss our networking cocktail reception the night before, included with registration! Register here
Indiana VW grants accepting proposals through June 1
Round 3 of Ind. VW grant funding, which will distribute awards ranging from $50,000 to $2 million, is open for applications through June 1, with a total of $12 million available. Grants will be awarded for clean air projects that significantly reduce diesel emissions across Indiana. Details can be found in the Member Center. Watch SSCC's Carl Lisek & IDEM's Shawn Seals in our Webinar recordings on VW Grant Options for School Bus Fleets & VW Onroad & Nonroad Grant Options. Contact us at (219) 644-3690 today to learn how we can help maximize the success of your application!
Indiana governor vetoes bill requiring ethanol warning label
Gov. Eric Holcomb has vetoed a bill that would require additional labeling for Indiana gas pumps that distribute E15, a fuel blend that contains up to 15% ethanol in gasoline. The new signage would have encouraged consumers to check their owner’s manual for “compatibility and warranty requirements,” according to the measure vetoed Monday. Fuel dispensers who didn’t post the statement on their pumps could have been charged with a Class A infraction, which carries up to a $10,000 fine. Holcomb maintained that the Environmental Protection Agency already mandates all E15 pumps to have a label “clearly advising consumers of the possible implications of using the fuel in certain engines.” Learn more
Register now for our 9th Annual Clean Air Golf Outing
Join us Sept. 21 for one of our most popular events of the year, the 9th Annual Clean Air Golf Outing! The event will feature all of the activities our annual golf outing is known for – fun on the links, delicious meals, cocktails, raffles, on-course contests, networking and more! We’ll be back at the beautiful White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, Indiana. Not a golfer? Not a problem! Register to join us for dinner! Be sure to secure your sponsorship now! See you there! Register here
SSCC Quarterly Membership Meeting
Join South Shore Clean Cities for our next quarterly virtual membership meeting! These casual, members only, one hour meetings will take place quarterly during the lunch hour and will allow our members to engage with us and with each other. Please join us from 12 p.m.-1 p.m. CDT Wednesday, May 12 for our next meeting. Login information is available in the Member Center under the Member Resources tab or by contacting Catherine Yoder via email or by phone at (219) 644-3690. Looking forward to seeing you there!
GUEST COMMENTARY: 1,100-mile EV road trip sign of changing times
Technology has changed the way we take road trips dramatically in recent years. We’ve gone from large roadmaps we could never quite get to fold back together just right to turn-by-turn directions printed from Websites to GPS devices to cell phone apps to in-vehicle navigation systems, all in the last two decades. That doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the advancements in the technologies of the vehicles themselves, including electric vehicles. My wife and I recently drove our all-electric vehicle from Florida to Northwest Indiana. Read Carl Lisek's monthly column in The Times of Northwest Indiana
On the Go: An On-Road Transportation Podcast with Clean Cities
On the Go is a Clean Cities podcast on alternative fuels, advanced vehicles and emerging transportation technologies that are transforming mobility as we know it. Leaders sit down with experts and fleet practitioners from National Laboratories, federal agencies, utilities and transportation stakeholders to give you on-the-ground insight into the U.S. transportation ecosystem. Public episodes are available on the Clean Cities Website and will soon be available for streaming or download on most music and podcasting apps, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, and more.
Biden Administration advances EV charging infrastructure
On April 22 - Earth Day - the White House announced new progress in the Administration’s goal to accelerate and deploy electric vehicles and charging stations, create good-paying, union jobs, and enable a clean transportation future. The announcement included portions of I-64, I-74 and U.S. 31 in Indiana have been designated as "corridor-pending" for EVs. In March, the United States passed the milestone of 100,000 public chargers (as recorded by the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center) and these new actions will accelerate deployment to make driving an electric vehicle convenient in every part of the country. Learn more
Nissan Leaf offers continue through May 3
Our member Nissan North America is offering customers incentive offers toward the purchase of a new 100% electric Nissan LEAF as part of Nissan's efforts to accelerate electric vehicle transportation alternatives throughout the United States. The offers continue through May 3, 2021. Learn more
Energized for a clean environment: Business built on educating government, industry about benefits of clean air initiatives
Carl Lisek is emerging as a leader in the movement for a clean environment, making his mark in the Region, throughout the state and across the country. Since becoming executive director of South Shore Clean Cities in 2005, Lisek, 60, has worked extensively with Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, local governments, businesses and organizations to reduce emissions and improve air quality through alternative fuels, technologies and sustainable transportation options. Read the full story in the Chicago Tribune
Funding opportunities
The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced $61 million is available for biofuels research to reduce transportation emissions. The U.S. Department of Transportation on April 15 published a Notice of Funding Opportunity to apply for $1 billion in Fiscal Year 2021 discretionary grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants to modernize and create new infrastructure. Also on April 15, the U.S. Department of Energy unveiled two funding opportunities totaling more than $162 million to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions among cars, trucks, and off-road vehicles. Details on these & other funding opportunities can be found in the Member Center. Contact us at (219) 644-3690 today to learn how we can help maximize the success of your application!
Member Spotlight: Illinois Marine Towing
Illinois Marine Towing Inc. – headquartered in Joliet, Illinois – has been a South Shore Clean Cities member since 2019. Illinois Marine Towing was founded after the acquisition of Joliet Harbor Service in December 1987. Canal Barge Company later acquired IMT in the fall of 2008. The operation now includes the largest fleet of harbor and towing vessels in the Chicago Harbor, a quick-repair shipyard, a dry cargo terminal, liquid and dry cargo barge cleaning, barge readiness services and crewing services. IMT’s goal is to partner with customers, vendors and employees alike to build a sustainable culture and find the win-win opportunities that deliver mutual benefit.
"Green Fleet Radio" with Carl Lisek
SSCC Executive Director Carl Lisek's weekly radio show "Green Fleet Radio" airs three times each Wednesday on Lakeshore Public Radio with generous support from NIRPC. This month, SSCC Communications Director Lauri Keagle filled in as guest host & welcomed guests George Topoll of Union Township of Porter Co., Ind. State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie & Charles Bradsky of NIRPC. Listeners can tune in to Lakeshore Public Radio at 89.1 FM or stream online. Catch up on past shows on our Website. 
Featured Fuel: Ethanol
Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from corn and various other plant materials collectively known as “biomass”. The use of ethanol is widespread, with more than 95 percent of U.S. gasoline containing ethanol in a low-level blend to oxygenate the fuel and reduce air pollution. Ethanol is also available as E85, a high-level ethanol blend containing 51 percent to 83 percent ethanol, depending on geography and season. The blend can be used in flexible fuel vehicles which have an internal combustion engine and run on either E85 or gasoline. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, there are more than 8 million FFVs on U.S. roads today. Learn more on our Website
New & Renewing Members
Upcoming Events
NWI Partners for Clean Air Virtual Awards Ceremony
April 30, 2021
ACT Expo
2021
Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2021
Co-Optima Capstone
Webinar Series
Ongoing
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