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February 2017 Edition
Steering Committee Results, WA Legislative Update, GTSE, Member Updates, DOE's 2017 Vehicle Guide, Tips For Conserving Fuel, The 4 Things You Should Know About Renewable Diesel, Best Practices For Purchasing An Alt Fuel Vehicle
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Biofuels are good for the planet, right?
Biodiesel, renewable diesel, and ethanol are made from renewable resources, but depending on multiple factors, some biofuels can have a larger climate impact than petroleum fuels.
Sign up for our next Clean Cities webinar on Wednesday, March 8, as we explore the "whys" and "hows" of figuring out your fuels' carbon intensity.
Register
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Steering Committee Election Results
After tallying the votes, we have our new Western WA Clean Cities steering committee:
- Ben Farrow, Puget Sound Energy
- Jim Jensen, Washington State University
- Jennifer Lindwall, King County
- Mark Stephens, Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD)
Thank you to all of our worthy candidates! Our new and returning committee members will join Danielle Gambogi (Recology CleanScapes), Ron Kahler (City of Renton), Karin Landsberg (Washington State Department of Transportation), Andrea Pratt (City of Seattle) and Matt Stewart (Jefferson County) in directing our coalition's efforts over the next year. Matt will take the reins as our newly-elected steering committee chair.
A special note of gratitude goes to outgoing chair Ben Farrow for his years of stalwart "steering," guidance, and inspiration.
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Under the dome in Olympia, there’s a lot going on!
Here are some of the items we’re tracking:
- HB 1144: Modifies state greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.
- HB 1335: Authorizes municipal utilities with 400,000+ customers to offer programs pertaining to transportation electrification.
- HB 1662: Modifies tax exemptions for ride-sharing vehicles to include electric vehicles.
- HB 1809: Makes changes to the commercial vehicle alternative fuel tax incentive.
- SB 5716: Requires cities and counties to adopt incentive programs to encourage rapid charging outlets for electric vehicles in new structures.
In other federal alternative fuel incentive news, Congress did not pass legislation extending the alternative fuels tax credits by the session’s conclusion on January 3, 2017. While there is a history of retroactively reinstating the credits, the following tax credits expired December 31, 2016:
Look for more information about these and other initiatives in a forthcoming Legislative Update.
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2017 Green Transportation Summit & Expo
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Start making plans to be in Portland in early April for the Green Transportation Summit & Expo (GTSE)! The conference is the Pacific Northwest's premier fleet modernization and alternative fuels event.
We're excited to attend and learn more from GTSE's numerous speakers and industry leaders. We'll even be hosting our own session on the ins and outs of biodiesel and renewable diesel, with special guest panelists:
Early bird registration for the conference expires today -- February 15. Clean Cities members are eligible for a $50 registration discount -- contact us to learn more. And those who submit an application for the Western Region Sustainable Fleet Award will receive an additional $25 discount.
Learn More
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Most of you should have received an email by now from us regarding this year's annual data survey. Every year, at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy, we ask our region's fleets to find out what kind of fuel (& how much) each fleet is using.
This year, we've tried to streamline our processes to make it as simple and straightforward as possible to tell us exactly how much gas you're kicking.
We also want to know about any great projects that made your fleet cleaner & greener in 2016! Members who submit their data on time will receive a snazzy Western WA Clean Cities tire pressure gauge / key chain.
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Find out which of our members are making moves in the field of alternative fuels and advanced technologies.
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New Member: Creative Bus Sales
We're very excited to announce Creative Bus Sales as our latest Clean Cities member! Creative Bus Sales is the nation's largest bus dealership with a nearby location in Mukilteo.
Creative Bus Sales offers buses and vehicles from more than 20 manufacturers, including alternative fuel conversions (hybrids, CNG, and propane autogas) by Green Alternative Systems. With hundreds of facilities across the country, Creative Bus Sales very well may have the vehicle you're looking for already in stock.
Plus they even have their own factory-trained technicians for follow-up inspections and maintenance.
Welcome! We're glad you support clean transportation in the Pacific Northwest.
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City of Everett: Electric Motion
The City of Everett Motor Vehicle Division has now ordered their fleet's first two plug-in electric vehicles -- a Ford Focus EV and a Ford C-Max Energi PHEV (via the Washington State Contract). The City will also install its first Level 2 EV charger (with dual cords) to keep their vehicles powered up.
Both electric vehicles will be used for both the City's vehicle pool as well as for the Department's personnel use.
The new EVs continue Everett's overall transition to electrification after Everett Transit's recent purchase of four 40-foot Proterra electric buses.
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Puget Sound Energy: LNG Plant Under Construction
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has started construction on its LNG plant in the Port of Tacoma. The plant will serve as an LNG supply for commercial customers (owned and managed by a new subsidiary company, Puget LNG) as well as a natural gas backup for PSE's utility customers.
Located in the Tacoma tide flats, the plant is s
trategically located to supply TOTE Maritime with LNG for its two ships that run between Tacoma and Anchorage.
PSE intends for the plant to be operational in late 2019 with interim LNG supply options available for customers with LNG requirements before the plant is complete. Puget LNG is actively marketing the LNG to marine, railroad and transportation customers in the region. For more information visit Puget LNG's new website.
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Washington State Department of Enterprise Services: Bolting Into The Future
The Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) will soon be equipped with an exciting set of long-range electric vehicles in their fleet.
DES has ordered 110 Chevrolet Bolts in all, with nine of those vehicles marked for other departments (six for the State Department of Transportation, two for the State Department of Parks & Recreation, and one for Kitsap County).
The brand-new Bolts are expected to be delivered in April or May and will arrive in multiple colors -- Arctic Blue, Nightfall Grey, Summit White and Orange Burst.
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City of Seattle: Anyone Want To Bulk Buy?
Four major cities -- Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles -- are bonding together to electrify the West Coast.
The cities released a Request For Information (RFI) asking car companies to submit plans by the end of February to meet the combined demand for 24,000 electric vehicles. Together, the West Coast cities hope that negotiating with carmakers directly will reduce the cost of purchasing or leasing the vehicles.
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King County Metro: Boosting Battery Buses
King County Metro's year-long test of battery-electric buses went so well they're making plans for more buses. A lot more.
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At A Glance: 2017 Fuel Economy Guide
The U.S. Department of Energy's annual vehicle guide is now available! For those not familiar with it, the guide takes a look at each 2017 model car or truck's fuel economy, expected yearly fuel cost, and climate impact (10 out of 10 is the best). It also compares battery range and estimated charge time for electric vehicles.
Learn More
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Fuel Conservation Strategies
While fuel costs are seemingly prone to market spikes and dips, there's one things fleet managers do have within their control: driver behavior.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Strategies for Fleet Managers gives multiple insights for conserving fuel with simple efforts. Much of its content may not be groundbreaking, but all of the strategies and tips provided are worth a review. A few ideas include:
- Incentives -- give the most fuel-efficient driver a payout of their individual fuel savings.
- Driver Training -- even veteran drivers can learn how to operate their vehicle more efficiently, like reducing idling.
- Fleet Fuel Card -- a fuel card can help fleet managers track fill-up transactions and find areas where operations can be tightened.
Learn More
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Renewable Diesel: 4 Things You Should Know
Lately there has been a fair amount of buzz about renewable diesel, an emerging diesel fuel alternative also known as “green diesel.” When a new technology like this first hits the market, many people want to know what exactly the new product is, who can use it, where they can find some, and how it fits into the overall alternative fuels picture.
Our current feelings about renewable diesel are cautiously optimistic: we see plenty of reason to be excited about renewable diesel as a potentially cleaner and greener diesel fuel alternative, but also realize that not all products are created equal.
Learn More
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New Best Practice Guides Available
You may want to explore adding an alternative fuel vehicle to your fleet, but how do you get started?
The Fleets for the Future initiative has produced a collection of best practice guides to aid fleets in the procurement of alternative fuel and electric vehicles, including how to finance and plan for the transition -- all available for free download.
Fleets for the Future is a national partnership of regional councils, Clean Cities coalitions (including Western WA Clean Cities) and industry experts working to establish a national procurement initiative to consolidate bulk orders of alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure.
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