December 2025 Holiday Edition

A Message from the Executive Director

Antoine M. Thompson

CEO/Executive Director

GWRCCC

Message from the CEO/Executive Director:

It’s hard to believe that we have reached the month of December. This year has been filled with many twists and turns, steps backward, steps sideways, and many steps forward. Your record levels of participation at GWRCCC conferences, summits, and events have given us the energy to push onward toward a cleaner transportation future.

Next year, GWRCCC will celebrate its 15th birthday as an organization! Stay tuned for some of our exciting events throughout the year, beginning with our 2026 Opening/Winter Reception on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 899 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC, followed by the 5th Annual GWRCCC Clean Energy & Transportation Conference in October 2026 at Martin’s Crosswinds, Greenbelt, Maryland.

Are you thinking about how you can help GWRCCC continue its great work to improve the environment, reduce pollution, and support clean energy and transportation initiatives? Take two minutes to make a tax-deductible donation today at www.gwrccc.org/donations. Also, you can now pay your 2026 membership dues at www.gwrccc.org/membership.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 671-1580.

Sincerely,

Antoine M. Thompson

Congratulations to Antoine M. Thompson, CEO & Executive Director of GWRCCC, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments for honoring him with the 2026 Stuart A. Freudberg Award for Regional Leadership. The award is given to people, organizations and entities in support of regional policies and programs supported by MWCOG. He was recognized for his leadership efforts related to electric vehicles, pollution reduction, workforce development and environmental justice. #leadership #gwrccc #gettingthingsdone #award

FTA Awards Over S2 Billion to Transit Agencies Through

the 2025 Low-No & Bus and Bus Facilities Programs

Authored by Michael Dorgan, Policy Manager

On November 20, 2025, the Federal Transit Administration announced over $2 billion in funding for the Low or No Emission Vehicle (Low-No) and the Bus and Bus Facilities discretionary funding programs. This funding will support over 160 transit projects across 45 states and Washington, D.C. CTE is proud to share that six partner agencies that CTE supported on their Low-No applications received funding—a nearly 50% success rate for CTE-supported applications overall. We and we are thrilled to be able to continue supporting transit agencies in accessing grant funds from federal and state programs.

The awarded projects focus primarily on low-emission technologies across a range of fuel types, including CNG, diesel hybrid, and propane. While many applications included zero-emission and low-emission elements, early analysis suggests that FTA funded primarily, if not only, the low-emission portions of these projects. Regardless, the release of these funds is a win for transit agencies nationwide, enabling them to modernize fleets, replace aging vehicles, and advance toward cleaner, more efficient transit systems.

CTE remains committed to supporting transit agencies in accessing federal and state funding for low- and zero-emission projects. Our Smart Deployment Methodology is technology-agnostic and continues to provide guidance for deploying the most effective solutions for each agency’s needs.

CTE congratulates all awardee agencies on their successful bids, and looks forward to your continued partnership!

More Americans Want EVs,

Despite The End Of The Tax Credit

The number of people who say they are "very likely" to consider a new EV was up last month and there is one big reason for that.

EVs are far from done, despite the dramatic decrease in sales last month, the first full month after the $7,500 federal tax credit was repealed. Compared to September, EV sales plummeted by 53%, slashing the market share in half.

But that’s just part of the story, as data analytics, software, and consumer intelligence company J.D. Power recently discovered. For starters, last month’s steep sales dip can be partly attributed to consumers rushing to get the tax credit in September, which ballooned the numbers. So, naturally, fewer people bought new EVs in the following month.

Then–and this is important–consumer interest is growing, not faltering, even without the $7,500 incentive on the table. Per J.D. Power, more than half of new vehicle shoppers (59.7%) say they are “very likely” (24.2%) or “somewhat likely” (35.5%) to consider buying or leasing an EV in the next 12 months. The number of people who are actively looking for a new car and are “very likely” to consider an EV is up 2.6 percentage points from September and is now at its highest level since January.

Current EV owners also need to be thrown into the mix, because most of them–a whopping 94%–say they will buy another EV when the time comes for a new car. Among them, 79% say they “definitely will” buy or lease a new EV, while 15% say they “probably will.”

The explanation for this continued interest is customer satisfaction. Among current EV owners, the number one reason for buying an electric car was the expected lower running costs (57%), followed by the tax credits and incentives (51%), driving performance (48%), purchase price or lease offer (47%), and design (35%).

As J.D. Power notes, the end of the federal tax credit will certainly affect the value equation, but EVs have consistently met or exceeded owners’ expectations on running costs.

This might not mean much today, but it will mean a lot next year, when no fewer than 243,000 franchise EV leases will come to an end. Seeing how 94% of current owners say they won’t go back to gas, many of them will likely buy or lease a new EV, putting them back on the market. For reference, 62% of people who returned an EV at the end of the lease in 2025 chose to buy or lease another one, according to the data intelligence company.

It all comes down to cost. While many EVs are more expensive to buy than their combustion-powered counterparts, they are more affordable to own. Per J.D. Power, 60% of current EV owners say their vehicles are much less expensive to own and operate than gasoline-powered cars, and another 26% say they are slightly less expensive to own. At the same time, just 7% of EV owners say their cars are more expensive to own than gas cars.

Source: https://insideevs.com/news

CTE and C.H. Robinson Foundation Grant Support

Recology's Zero-Emission Fleet Transition Planning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 9, 2025

CONTACT

Kate Mason

kate@cte.tv

(615) 419-5185

San Francisco, CA— The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) today announced the successful completion of a Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Transition Plan for Recology, a resource recovery company that provides collection and disposal services to more than 2.5 million individuals and 100,000 businesses across California, Oregon, and Washington.

The project was made possible by a Strategic Industry Grant from the C.H. Robinson Foundation, which supports nonprofit organizations committed to helping the supply chain and logistics industry thrive. The grant supported CTE in delivering a complimentary ZEV Transition Plan for a selected Class 4–8 fleet operator, with Recology’s San Francisco fleet chosen through a competitive expression of interest process.

CTE’s ZEV Fleet Transition Plans are tailored to the specific needs of each fleet, analyzing vehicle operations, infrastructure requirements, total cost of ownership, and emissions reductions. For Recology’s San Francisco operations, CTE reviewed a fleet inventory of nearly 600 vehicles, including refuse trucks, pickups, roll-off trucks, and tractors, ultimately developing a detailed assessment of the opportunities and challenges in scaling zero-emission operations.

“CTE is honored to work with Recology on this important step toward decarbonizing the solid waste sector,” said Steve Clermont, Managing Director of Planning and Deployment at CTE. “With the support of the C.H. Robinson Foundation, we’ve developed a replicable framework that not only helps Recology evaluate its path forward, but can also guide future transitions across the freight and logistics industries.”

As the first waste management company to receive a CTE ZEV Transition Plan, Recology sees this project as a pivotal step in advancing its long-standing commitment to innovation and sustainability.

"This project gives Recology a clearer view of what a zero-emission future could require,” said Salvatore Coniglio, Chief Executive Officer of Recology. “From vehicle availability to infrastructure costs, the solid waste industry has some hurdles to overcome. Having this data helps us to make informed decisions as we continue innovating toward sustainable solutions for our fleet.”

Recology has already demonstrated leadership in advancing zero-emission technologies. In 2024, the company was the first to pilot the nation’s first hydrogen-powered refuse collection vehicle, developed in partnership with New Way Trucks and Hyzon.

The ZEV Transition Plan builds on this momentum, giving Recology a data-driven strategy that identifies the opportunities and challenges associated with a long-term fleet transition. By combining operational analysis with cost estimates and infrastructure planning, the plan equips Recology with a tool that will support Recology’s fleet planning to reduce emissions while continuing to provide essential services to millions of customers.

“At C.H. Robinson, we believe that advancing sustainability in logistics is not just good business—it’s essential for the future of our industry, communities and our planet,” said Rachel Schwalbach, Vice President, Environment, Social & Governance and President of the C.H. Robinson Foundation. “Progress happens when we work together, and we’re proud to be a part of this journey and to help drive positive change in the communities where we live and work.”

Recology’s participation in this initiative demonstrates how waste and recycling companies can play a vital role in advancing zero-emission technologies. By embedding sustainability into fleet strategy, the initiative demonstrates how environmental and economic benefits can ripple throughout the transportation and logistics sector.

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GWRCCC in the Community

November 4, 2025

Antoine Thompson, CEO and Executive Director of GWRCCC and champions of clean transportation on participating on the panel on Strategies to Reduce Pollution in Transportation at the Baltimore Climate Summit. "It was my honor to moderate the discussion," stated Thompson.

(l-r) Paul Winters Joseph Weaver Jr, Jill Hamilton, and Jim Dankowski.

FTA Awards Over $2 Billion to Transit Agencies Through the 2025 Low-No & Bus and Bus Facilities Programs

November 21, 2025

Authored by Michael Dorgan, Policy Manager

CTE congratulates all awardee agencies on their successful bids, and looks forward to your continued partnership!

Source: https://cte.tv/

Listen to the Newest Episode of

Green Leaders: On the Move with Marjorie Harris,

Assistant Director of External Affairs for the

Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP)

Click on the flyer to listen

GWRCCC Fleet Coaching

GWRCCC is offering 30 minutes of coaching for a limited number of fleets each month. Do you need to train your workforce on emission reducing practices or transitioning to a clean energy fleet? We can help you!

For more information, contact the GWRCCC office at (202) 671-1580.

DEUSA2 Fleet Survey

2-Minute Fleet Survey

Are you associated with fleets? Please fill this short 2-minute survey and get a chance to enter a raffle (includes EV chargers!) during our Holiday party on December 2. Your insights will greatly help us identify issues faced by you and advocate with policymakers.

Email ajay@gwrccc.org once you've fill it in or if you have any queries.

Biobased Products Lunch & Learn

Learn about Prince George's Fleet usage of

bio-based products.

For more information or to register, click here.

Clean Energy & Transportation

Industry Meeting

12.11.2025

Click here to Register

Registration Now Open for

2026 Clean Fuels Conference

January 19-22, 2026

For more information, click here.

2026 ACT Expo for 2026

May 4-7, 2026

For more information, click here.

Maryland Clean Energy Grants and Loans

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) manages grants, loans, rebates, and tax incentives designed to help attain Maryland's goals in energy use reduction, renewable energy promotion, climate action, and the creation of green jobs. Through the programs below, the agency helps Maryland residents, businesses, non-profits, and local governments implement energy efficiency upgrades and install renewable energy systems. View an alphabetical list of all of our programs here.