Wisconsin Clean Cities

Driving Wisconsin Forward Since 1994

June - July 2023

2023 Transportation & Innovation Expo

Registration is now open for the Transportation & Innovation Expo in Madison!

Wisconsin Clean Cities is proud to partner with Madison Gas and Electric, Alliant Energy, and the City of Madison Fleet Service, to co-host the state’s largest sustainable transportation conference and expo on October 11, 2023 at the Alliant Energy Center.

The 100,000 square foot exhibit hall will feature a variety of exhibitors, and indoor vehicle and equipment displays. Attendees will also have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a variety of alternative fuel and electric vehicles during the ride and drive outside the exhibit hall.

Available to you:

All-day access to the expo hall with indoor vehicle displays and exhibit booths.
Breakout sessions with top industry leaders, as panelists.
Ride & Drive opportunities.
Outdoor vehicle demonstrations.
Continental breakfast, lunch and snacks.
Networking.
Prize drawings.
And much more!

Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities can be found HERE.

EMPOWER Workplace Charging Webinar

July 18, 2023, 10 – 11am: Join Wisconsin Clean Cities, Pieper Electric, Alliant Energy, and Drive Clean Indiana to learn about the EMPOWER Workplace Charging program, initial considerations for system installation, and how Ho-Chunk Casino has added EV charging to their facility.

Using Electric Vehicles (EV) and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) in the workplace and as a resource demonstrates benefits beyond the transportation industry. The EMPOWER Workplace Charging Program is a key step in addressing the adoption of EVs throughout Wisconsin. Part of a national partnership between 32 Clean Cities Coalitions, and other key stakeholders, EMPOWER provides educational and technical assistance to entities looking to install electric vehicle charging stations.

Webinar presenters include:

Lorrie Lisek, Executive Director, Wisconsin Clean Cities
Dave Hedin, EV Charging Division Manager, Pieper Electric Inc.
Ashley Pike, Electrification Program Specialist, Alliant Energy
Carl Lisek, Executive Director, Drive Clean Indiana

Congratulations to WCC Member ANGI for 40 Years in the Natural Gas Refueling Sector

A big congratulations to our member, ANGI Energy Systems, a supplier of solutions for compressed natural gas and hydrogen refueling systems, is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Since the company was founded in 1983, ANGI has been at the forefront of technological advancements for the CNG and hydrogen sectors across the globe, while fostering and supporting a strong community in Wisconsin, where it has its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, in Janesville.

PSC Awarded more than $10 Million to Implement Grid Resilience Program

MADISON – The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC or Commission) more than $10 million under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Grid Resilience Program to improve resiliency of the electric grid.

Press Release

Congrats to our member, City of Madison, for being named a Top Green Fleet of 2023 by HDT

Madison Streets aims to be the greenest truck fleet in North America. Since its green initiatives began in 2018, Madison Streets has saved more than 13 million pounds in CO2 emissions. Its fleet of more than 350 vehicles includes 282 heavy-duty and 24 medium-duty trucks. It runs B5 biodiesel in winter, B20 in warmer months, and 17 trucks run on B100 (100% biodiesel) year-round using Optimus retrofit technology. Two Class 8 Mack electric garbage trucks were added this spring. Through GPS/telematics, in a recent four-month period, it cut speeding by 43%, idling by 22%, and overall diesel usage by 29%. In 2021, it had the first municipal auto garage in North America to achieve LEED GOLD certification.

What’s next: By 2030, be the first major truck fleet in America to operate completely on EVs and B100.

Save the Date: 2023 Clean Cities Stakeholder Summit

Wisconsin Clean Cities and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invite you to save the date for the 2023 Clean Cities Stakeholder Summit in celebration of Clean Cities Coalition Network’s 30^th anniversary. The summit will bring together partners from across Clean Cities, including coalition leaders and stakeholders, DOE representatives, and national laboratory staff.

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023
Location: Hilton McLean Tysons Corner (7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA)
Registration: Coming soon

Learn More

CNG classes offered at MATC this Summer

The Diesel-401 “CNG Tank and Fuel System Inspection class” (2 day) will be offered Tuesday, July 18th and Wednesday, July 19th from 8 am - 4:30 pm.

Current regulations require that all CNG tanks be visually inspected by a certified inspector every 3 years, or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first, or in the event of an accident or fire on the vehicle.

This class will cover the inspection requirements and techniques as defined by industry standards and regulations. This class would serve as a preparatory class for students who would like to take the CSA certification exam to become a "Certified CNG Fuel System Inspector".

Questions? Contact Craig Kuehl

414-571-4766

kuehlc@matc.edu

Wisconsin EV State Policy Bootcamp

July 26, 2023, 10 am – 2 pm, CST – Wisconsin EV State Policy Bootcamp -Fluno Conference Center, Room 201, Madison, WI

Join Wisconsin Clean Cities and the Electrification Coalition on July 26 for the Wisconsin EV State Policy Bootcamp. The bootcamp will cover the wide-ranging benefits of electric vehicles, from individual vehicles to school and transit buses to fleets. We will also discuss the importance of electrifying vehicles in Wisconsin and the state policy opportunities for accelerating their deployment. Speakers from the public sector and industry will discuss the state of the market and technology, as well as the experiences of fleets that are transitioning to EVs, including municipalities, utilities, and private industry.

FUNDING UPDATES

DOE Announces $750 Million to Advance Clean Hydrogen Technologies

EERE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office announced the availability of $750 million for research, development, and demonstration efforts to dramatically reduce the cost of clean hydrogen. This funding represents a crucial step in accelerating the widespread use of clean hydrogen and plays a vital role in achieving commercial-scale hydrogen deployment this decade.

Announcing the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program

EPA is announcing the 2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Grant Program! This is the first grant funding opportunity through the multi-year funding program and follows the 2022 CSB Rebate Program, which was the first round of funding. Under the 2023 Grant Program, EPA anticipates awarding approximately $400 million in competitive grant funding to eligible applicants for the purchase of zero-emission (ZE) school buses, clean school buses, and ZE charging infrastructure.

DOE Clean Energy Infrastructure Program & Funding Opportunities

With $97 billion in funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. Department of Energy is focused on expanding its existing and creating new pathways for federal investments in research and development, demonstration, and deployment programs to help to achieve carbon-free electricity in the U.S. by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050.

Fiscal Year 2023 Advanced Vehicle Technologies Funding Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) announced a new $99.5 million funding opportunity. VTO’s fiscal year 2023 funding opportunity, will support projects to reduce soft costs to improve EV charging infrastructure in underserved communities, provide consumer education on EVs and EV charging, and develop batteries that use low-cost, abundant materials. This funding opportunity seeks the participation of underserved communities and underrepresented groups, and applicants are required to submit Diversity,

USDA Announces Webinars on Inflation Reduction Act Programs to Advance Clean Energy Initiatives in Rural Americ a

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andy Berke today announced that USDA will host a series of webinars to help organizations learn how to apply for financial assistance to advance clean, affordable and reliable electric energy in rural America.

Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA plans to invest up to $500 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give Americans additional cleaner fuel options at the pump.

New Member of Wisconsin Clean Cities

Welcome to our new member, Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables.

We appreciate your membership and partnership with Wisconsin Clean Cities! Your support enables us to work toward our efforts to reduce the nation’s dependence on imported oil, improve air quality, support local jobs, drive economic development, and promote improved quality of life.

Learn More

WCC Member Spotlight: Paper Transport Inc.

Paper Transport Inc. is a for-hire truckload carrier that offers regional truckload, dedicated truckload, inter modal, and logistic services. Headquartered in De Pere, WI with multiple park locations/terminals throughout the Midwest and Southern United States, Paper Transport has experienced tremendous growth since its start in 1990 and now employs over 950 professional Class A CDL Truck Drivers along with over 200 driver support professionals.

Learn More here

Board Member Spotlight

This month, we spotlight Rob Arroyo, Director of Fleet Maintenance at GO Riteway Transportation Group.

Learn more about Rob and his commitment to the Wisconsin Clean Cities mission!

How long have you been a board member of Wisconsin Clean Cities?

3 years

Why did you join the Wisconsin Clean Cities Board?

To play a part in improving air quality while enhancing my own knowledge of alternative fuel applications.

What’s your favorite part of being a WCC board member?

Networking opportunities that allow sharing ideas to learn from each other to help improve our effectiveness in our company roles.

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?

I have 4 kids and met my wife in high school.

What’s the last book you read?

Car Guys vs. Bean Counters

What is your favorite hobby?

Supporting my kids sports

What’s the best concert you ever attended?

Metallica

What’s the next place on your travel bucket list?

Calgary, Canada

Any thing else you would like us to know?

Born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Thank you Rob! We appreciate you!

Featured Technology: Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable fuel that can be manufactured domestically from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled restaurant grease. It is a cleaner-burning replacement for petroleum diesel fuel.

Biodiesel is a liquid fuel often referred to as B100 or neat biodiesel in its pure, unblended form. Like petroleum diesel, biodiesel is used to fuel compression-ignition engines, which run on petroleum diesel.

How well biodiesel performs in cold weather depends on the blend of biodiesel. The smaller the percentage of biodiesel in the blend, the better it performs in cold temperatures. Regular No. 2 diesel and B5 perform about the same in cold weather. Both biodiesel and No. 2 diesel have some compounds that crystalize in very cold temperatures. In winter weather, fuel blenders and suppliers combat crystallization by adding a cold flow improver. For the best cold weather performance, users should work with their fuel provider to ensure the blend is appropriate.