Don Covert

July 30, 2023

July 2023

Don Covert

July 30, 2023

In This Issue

Renewable natural gas
Upcoming Events
Funding opportunities

Renewable Natural Gas

Natural Gas is one of the cleanest burning fuels available today for use in vehicles. Using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in heavy duty vehicles produces 27% less carbon dioxide emissions and emits 13-17% less greenhouse gases than diesel. (NGVAmerica) Natural gas traditionally comes from deposits underground, but it can also be made from renewable resources.

Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is made by processing biogas that has been produced by the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. This organic matter can be animal manure, landfill waste, solids from wastewater and food waste. RNG created from these sources is fully interchangeable with natural gas and can be used in place of CNG as a vehicle fuel and more.

RNG is considered carbon-neutral, or even carbon negative, because its production process can capture more greenhouse gases than it emits. Decaying matter from landfills, wastewater treatment plants and livestock manure can release large amounts of harmful methane into the atmosphere. By capturing and using the biogas produced by these sources, RNG operations can significantly lower these greenhouse gas emissions.

RNG in Arizona

Dairy farms including Butterfield, Milky Way and Paloma are turning cow manure from their farms into RNG.

Butterfield and Milky Way farms are each estimated to generate over 300,000 MMBtu of RNG each year. (Avolta)
Annually, the Paloma Dairy’s RNG project is expected to prevent the release of 54,000 tons of carbon emissions the environment. (Southwest Gas)
Phoenix’s 91st Ave Wastewater Treatment Plant is also producing RNG and is estimated to reduce over 44,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. (Ameresco)

Arizona cities are also taking advantage of the benefits of RNG. The City of Phoenix is now using RNG in its CNG fleet vehicles and the city of Mesa is constructing a system to use the biogas from the City's Northwest Water Treatment Plant (NWWRP) to fuel the City's solid waste vehicles.

Renewable natural gas is a source of energy and fuel that is being explored by many as the country works towards a carbon neutral future.

Upcoming Events

School Bus Fleet ConneX (SBFX)

September 20-22, 2023 | Scottsdale, AZ

Event meant to connect public and private school transportation service providers with product and service suppliers for an exchange of information, ideas and solutions.

Learn more : https://www.schoolbusfleetconnex.com/

Work Truck eXchange

September 18-20 2023 | Scottsdale, AZ

Work Truck eXchange (WTX) connects commercial fleet managers responsible for light- and medium-duty truck and van fleets with industry suppliers at multi day networking event.

Learn More: https://www.worktruckex.com/

Funding Announcements

Joint Office of Energy and Transportation

The deadline for full applications for the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) Ride and Drive Electric Fiscal Year 2023 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) has been extended to Aug. 25, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET.

Read the Joint Office news item to learn more about the extended FOA deadline.

Inflation Reduction Act Funding From Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Powering Affordable Clean Energy Program (PACE)
USDA Rural Development program to help make clean, affordable, and reliable energy accessible to the people of rural America. Rural Utilities Service program to forgive a percentage of loans for specific renewable energy projects. Letters of Interest (Required): Open- Letters of interest due September 29, 2023.

Empowering Rural America Program (New ERA)
USDA Rural Development program to help rural Americans transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy by reducing air and water pollution. Funding improves health outcomes and lower energy costs for people in rural communities. Letter of Interest (Required): Opens 7/31/2023New

ERA Application Webinars
August 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Register: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_yTUw6QaXQ8qLJiiSpdhH7A
August 29 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Register: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_OWeQS-HUTC69S36SV7rJSw

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Loans & Grants
USDA Rural Development program provides funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements.

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Technical Assistance Grant Program
USDA Rural Development program to award grants to eligible entities to provide services to assist potential Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) applicants in submitting complete applications. Funding Announcement. Application Deadline: 8/15/2023

Member Spotlight

Arizona Public Service- APS

Arizona Public Service provides electricity to 1.3 million customers across Arizona. The utility is committed to providing affordable and reliable energy to its customers while also doing their part to advance the use of clean energy. APS has set a goal of providing 100% clean carbon-free energy to its customers by the year 2050. They are well on their way to achieving this goal as they already provide 51% clean energy to users in their region. The company is also helping its customers adopt clean energy by providing support and incentives for EV’s and energy efficient upgrades and practices. A good example of this is the utility’s Take Charge Program. This program is working to expand EV infrastructure by installing free or low cost EV charging stations at select locations and has already installed 5 public DC fast chargers at key locations across the state. Learn more about APS and its commitment to clean energy, community and sustainability by visiting their website.

VSCCC strives to provide alternative fuel information to all people within our region. In order to increase our outreach abilities we are working with local agencies to share our newsletter and clean fuel resources with an even greater audience. We are proud to partner with the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona's Air Quality Department, ASU's Sustainable Cities Network and Maricopa County Air Quality Department.

Our Newsletter Is Also Available in Spanish!

Boletines

Translations done by Diego Montemayor- diego@cleanairaz.org

Don Covert

June 20, 2023

June 2023

Don Covert

June 20, 2023

In This Issue

PROPANE AUTOGAS
FORD AND GM PARTNER WITH TESLA
BATTERY RECYCLING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Propane Autogas

Propane is an important alternative fuel available for a variety of uses including transportation fuel. Propane as a transportation fuel has many benefits. It is clean burning, nontoxic to the environment, domestically available, and relatively low in price. This fuel is usually produced as a byproduct of natural gas processing but it is also possible to produce Renewable Propane from plant and vegetable oils, animal fats or used cooking oil.

Argonne National Laboratory’s GREET life cycle emissions model found that the use of propane in vehicles can reduce GHG emissions by nearly 13%. Propane’s environmental benefits, as well as it’s lower infrastructure and maintenance costs, make it a smart choice for many transportation needs.

Propane is currently used in over 60,000 vehicles in the United States. According to ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division, Arizona had 2,073 propane vehicles registered in the state in 2022. Many of these are medium duty vehicles such as school buses and shuttles. Schools have found propane buses to be a cost-effective alternative to high emission diesel vehicles. Here in Arizona, 686 propane school buses were registered in 2022. This number continues to grow as more fleets follow the example of districts such as Mesa and Kyrene Unified School districts. Both of these Arizona school districts use propane in the majority of their school buses and have benefited from clean fuel incentives such as the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program and AZ’s Clean Diesel Program. These programs provide funds to replace diesel vehicles with new low or zero emission ones. More information on funding and incentives for propane buses can be found here.

Not only is propane a viable vehicle fuel on its own but it’s portability and easy storage make it a useful source of power for other transportation applications. For example, propane can be used as a power source for EV charging stations. These EV charging stations can either be run entirely on propane or in conjunction with other sources such as solar energy. By powering EV stations with propane, they can be installed in remote or off grid locations and bring EV charging solutions to underserved areas. Check out an interesting article on propane fueled charging stations here.

All in all, propane is a versatile alternative fuel and its use in transportation can make a real difference in improving the environment and the air we breathe. Learn even more about propane at the Alternative Fuel Data Center and the Propane and Education Research Council (PERC).

Ford and GM To Use Tesla Charging Network

Ford Motor Company and General Motors have both entered into agreements with Tesla to allow their customers access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. Tesla currently has one of the largest charging networks, operating over 45,000 Superchargers globally. In 2024, Ford and GM EV drivers will be able to take advantage of this extensive charging network by gaining access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers located across the U.S. and Canada. Tesla uses its own charging plug, the North American Charging Standard (NACS), while other EV’s use the Combined Charging System (CCS) port. Since current Ford and GM EV’s don’t use the NACS plug they will need to use an adaptor to charge at Tesla’s stations. However, by 2025 this adaptor will no longer be necessary as both Ford and GM will be building new EV’s with the NACS connector built in. This new partnership between Tesla and two of the USA’s largest motor vehicle companies helps more than just their immediate EV customers.

Here in Arizona, the opening of the Tesla charging network will allow ADOT to include these stations in future Alternative Fuel (AFV) Corridor selections for the state. These AFV Corridors are approved by the Federal Highway Administration and will have alternative fuel stations, including EV chargers, at set intervals along the length of their routes. The locations of existing charging stations are an important consideration when nominating new AFV Corridors. According to the Alternative Fuel Data Center Station Locator, Tesla currently operates 37 Supercharger stations in Arizona. These stations can now play a role in AZ’s Alternative Fuel Corridors and help pave the way for greater EV adoption through the State.

SOURCES:

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2023/05/25/ford-ev-customers-to-gain-access-to-12-000-tesla-superchargers--.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/business/general-motors-tesla-electric-vehicles-charging.html

Battery Recycling Funding Opportunities

The ability to recycle and reclaim important materials from batteries is becoming ever more important as demand for EV’s continue to grow. To address this, the DOE has announced several battery recycling funding opportunities.

One of these opportunities is the Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling, Reprocessing, and Battery Collection funding project. This project is setting aside $125 million to advance the recycling of consumer electronics batteries in several topic areas. These include, developing battery recycling campaigns to encourage more participation by consumers, improving the economics of consumer battery recycling, as well as assisting states, communities and retailers in implementing battery collection and recycling programs.

The DOE has also announced another $7.4 million to further fund the “Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize.” This prize focuses on finding innovative solutions to collecting, sorting, storing, and transporting spent and discarded lithium-ion batteries. The Battery Recycling Prize was first introduced in 2019 and has since awarded $5.5 million in funding for battery recycling projects over the last several years. The end goal of the prize is to develop and demonstrate processes that have the potential to capture 90% of all discarded or spent lithium-based batteries in the United States. These recovered materials will then be re-introduced into the U.S. supply chain.

Member Spotlight

Salt River Project (SRP)

Salt River Project (SRP), is a not-for-profit organization that provides water and power services to more than 2 million people in central Arizona. SRP strives to provide affordable and reliable utility services to its customers. The organization is also committed to sustainability and is working to reduce carbon emissions and improve water and grid resiliency. In addition to this, SRP is also providing customers with resources to help them take advantage of new energy technologies such as EV’s. Customers with EV’s can qualify for a home EV charger rebate and take advantage of their Electric Vehicle Time of Use Price Plan.

VSCCC strives to provide alternative fuel information to all people within our region. In order to increase our outreach abilities we are working with local agencies to share our newsletter and clean fuel resources with an even greater audience. We are proud to partner with the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona's Air Quality Department, ASU's Sustainable Cities Network and Maricopa County Air Quality Department.

OUR NEWSLETTER IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH!

Boletines

Translations done by Diego Montemayor- diego@cleanairaz.org

Don Covert

May 26, 2023

May 2023

Don Covert

May 26, 2023

In This Issue

Welcome New VSCCC Board Member!
Vehicle Technologies office funding opportunities
Bioenergy and Biofuels

Welcome To The Team!

VSCCC is happy to welcome a new board member, Bill Kohn, to our team! Bill is the City of Scottsdale's new Director of Fleet Management. Although new to Scottsdale, Bill has provided fleet and transportation management leadership for more than thirty years. He has actively participated in the alternative fuels industry since 1996 with many major projects, including three CNG stations builds, blending of biofuels for large fleets and others. We are very grateful to have Bill on our board and know his fleet management experience and knowledge of alternative fuels will be an excellent addition to our organization.

Bioenergy Technology

Announcements from the DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) this month have brought some attention to the exciting field of Bioenergy. Bioenergy is a form of renewable energy generated from organic materials called biomass. Biomass can be used to produce transportation fuels, electricity, heat and other products. These biomass resources can come from many sources including dedicated energy crops, agricultural crop residues, algae, municipal waste, and wet waste. Wet waste includes landfill waste, wastewater, sewage, and livestock manure and was the focus of one of BETO’s latest funding awards. The office just awarded $3 million to projects for the improvement of local waste-to-energy processes and infrastructure. Two projects were selected, one working to create tools and resources for the implementation of waste to energy technologies and the other researching the use of a biosolids conversion facility for the production of renewable diesel and aviation fuel.

The fact that biofuels can come from so many different sources including waste, make them an ideal alternative fuel. Alternative biofuels such as biodiesel and biogas can greatly lower harmful emissions when used in place of petroleum. Estimates from BETO’s 2016 Billion Ton Report state that the United States has the potential to produce 1 billion dry tons of non-food biomass resources annually by 2040 and still meet demands for food, feed, and fiber. This could produce up to 50 billion gallons of biofuels and generate enough electricity to power 7 million households. Sources of biomass are readily available and the resulting energy and fuels produced from them are suitable for many different applications including powering heavy duty vehicles and even aircraft. Bioenergy and biofuel technologies could be a viable option for many sectors of the economy as they look to adopt clean energy solutions.

VTO Funding Opportunities

The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) has announced their 2023 program wide funding opportunities. This funding will support the research, development, demonstration and deployment of several types of electric vehicle related topics. These include projects that will reduce the weight and cost of batteries, lower the lifecycle emissions of materials, and decrease the cost of both on and off road vehicle charging infrastructure. The funding will also support other innovative public transit solutions, and training to increase deployment of these technologies among diverse communities. Concept papers are due 6/26/23 and final applications are due 8/11/23. You can learn more at the EERE funding page. This funding announcement is especially relevant to VSCCC since several of these funding sections suggest or even require the applicant to partner with a Clean Cities Coalition. Please reach out to us if you are considering applying to any of these topic areas and we will be happy to help in any way we can. Email us at info@cleanairaz.org

Member Spotlight

City of Mesa

With a population of over 500,000 people, the city of Mesa is one of the largest cities in the state of Arizona. Mesa has something for everyone, with many natural recreational areas, museums, attractions, shopping and more. This large city is also making a big difference when it comes to helping the environment. Mesa is improving air quality by utilizing clean alternative fuels in its fleets. Its solid waste trucks run on natural gas and Mesa Public School District has over 255 propane school busses in its fleet. Adopting alternative fuels is just one of the many techniques being used by the city to ensure a sustainable future for Mesa. Visit the city of Mesa’s website to learn more about this great city!

VSCCC strives to provide alternative fuel information to all people within our region. In order to increase our outreach abilities we are working with local agencies to share our newsletter and clean fuel resources with an even greater audience. We are proud to partner with the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona's Air Quality Department, ASU's Sustainable Cities Network and Maricopa County Air Quality Department.

Our Newsletter is also available in Spanish!

Boletines

Don Covert

April 29, 2023

April 2023

Don Covert

April 29, 2023

In This Issue

A Sustainable Arizona
CERES Event at State Capital
2023 Clean School Bus Grant Open

A Sustainable Arizona

April 22nd was Earth Day, and events all over the state shared the importance of adopting sustainable practices in order to protect our planet. VSCCC was proud to be one of the sponsors for Green Living Magazine’s Earth Day, “ Future of Sustainability in Arizona” event. This event brought together local AZ businesses to discuss sustainability issues and solutions. One such solution is the transition to cleaner fuels in our fleets and personal vehicles.

Arizona is already making great strides in the use of clean fuels and sustainable solutions. For example, many cities including Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale are utilizing alternative fuels like compressed natural gas (CNG) and biofuel blends in their fleets. Changes like these drastically reduce the amount of harmful emissions released into the air. State electric utilities, Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service are also doing their part by expanding renewable energy sources and helping their customers with EV charging solutions. Southwest Gas provides low emission natural gas fuel and now has several Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facilities in operation. These RNG facilities capture and refine biogas from organic sources such as manure from dairy farms and waste water into fuel for use in homes and vehicles.

Projects through our state universities, like ASU’s Sustainable Cities Network, are also working to connect communities with resources and sustainable solutions. State agencies, like Maricopa County Air Quality Department are helping with the transition to alternative fuels with programs like the DERA State Clean Diesel Grant. This program works to replace older diesel engines with new cleaner burning ones or with zero emission vehicles. Along with the air quality department, Arizona’s Department of Transportation (ADOT) is working to expand Alternative Fuel Vehicle Corridors throughout the state and will be submitting new corridors for approval. Our cities, state departments and businesses are adopting sustainable practices and working hard to make sure our state and planet has a healthy future. Let’s all do our part too!

CERES Event at State Capital

VSCCC attended “Lawn Day” at the Arizona State Capital on April 4th. Sponsored by CERES, The Arizona Technology Council and Plug in America, this event was held in order to highlight the importance of sustainable practices and advocate for clean energy solutions. It allowed local businesses and organizations to share their clean energy plans and achievements with state legislator representatives. It is important that state representatives understand what clean energy solutions are being utilized successfully by Arizona businesses. Lawn day provided an opportunity for businesses to share these insights with our state representatives so that they can make informed policy decisions.

2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program. This program funds the replacement of existing internal-combustion engine (ICE) school buses with electric, propane, or compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses, as well as the purchase of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) infrastructure and EVSE installations. Applications are due on August 22, 2023. School districts, state, local and tribal entities, charter school districts and select non-profits are eligible to apply. For more information and resources visit the EPA’s Clean School Bus page. The EPA will also be hosting webinars on the grant program.

Member Spotlight

Southwest Gas provides natural gas services to Arizona, Nevada, and portions of California and serves more than 2 million customers. Southwest Gas brings fuels and sustainable solutions to its customers.They have helped fleet customers throughout their service area reduce nearly 59,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by providing over 27 million therms of natural gas to be used as compressed natural gas(CNG) in place of diesel fuel. Southwest Gas Company is also partnering with 5 Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) projects to bring approximately 17.6 million therms of RNG to market each year.

Spanish/Boletine

Don Covert

March 22, 2023

March 2023 Newsletter

Don Covert

March 22, 2023

In This Issue

Alternative Fuel Corridor Planning
DOE Funding Opportunity Announcements
Off Road Recreational Vehicles-Discussion with Electric Dirt Bike Owner

March has been a busy month for VSCCC and clean energy funding. Our director has had a full schedule attending alternative fuel events and working with ADOT on designating new alternative fuel corridors in Arizona. There have also been so many new clean energy projects and funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) from the DOE that we can’t possibly fit them all in one newsletter. We will highlight just a few of these FOA’s in this issue. All in all, it is encouraging to see the amount of research and innovation that is being utilized by our country as it works towards a cleaner future.

Alternative Fuel Corridor Planning with ADOT

Our director, Don Covert, has spent the past couple months working with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) developing selection criteria to be used in the designation of new alternative fuel corridors in Arizona. Alternative fuel corridors are roadways that have been designated by the Federal Highway Administration to be equipped with alternative fueling stations at set intervals depending on the the type of fuel. For example, an electric fuel corridor is required to have a charging station every 50 miles along its course. Don has been participating as a member of ADOT’s Alternative Fuel Corridor Criteria Committee, where he has assisted with several areas of planning including identifying current EV charging and alternative fuel stations along Arizona’s roadways. Using this information, corridors can be planned to take advantage of existing alternative fuel infrastructure in the state. With the additional criteria developed by the Corridor Criteria Committee, ADOT can now select and submit new corridor plans to funding programs such as the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. You can view Arizona’s current and pending alternative fuel corridors on the Alternative Fuel Data Center’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator Map.

DOE Funding Opportunity Announcements

March saw the opening of applications for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program. This program will provide $2.5 billion over 5 years to cities, counties, local governments and tribes to be used in the building of EV and other alternative fuel infrastructure in publicly accessible places in both urban and rural areas. More information on this funding opportunity as well as technical assistance can be found at the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.

Funding to advance Clean Hydrogen Technologies has also been announced. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $750 million will be made available for research, development and demonstration efforts with the goal of reducing the cost of Clean Hydrogen. Learn more about funding and hydrogen technology at the DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office as well as the DOE’s Hydrogen Program page.

The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced another funding opportunity for the advancement of research, development, and demonstration projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the industrial sector. This funding opportunity will be led by EERE’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) and will be awarded to projects in several different topic areas. Some of these include low carbon fuels utilization and the decarbonization of industrial heat, iron, steel, cement, concrete and food and beverage products. Learn more about this opportunity here.

Fleet Forward

VSCCC had a wonderful time at the Fleet Forward event last month. The Fleet Forward Tour travels around the country hosting single day events that promote EV technologies. VSCCC was proud to be a sponsor of the tour’s stop here in Arizona. The event, held in Mesa, was very informative and provided great networking opportunities for everyone who attended. The day was filled with discussions and presentations covering EV challenges, benefits and adoption strategies. Participants heard from small business owners, city fleet managers and representatives from the City of Phoenix, Arizona Public Services (APS) and Salt River Project (SRP). The event also had a ride and drive session where there were several different EV’s on display and available for test driving. We enjoyed meeting new people in the EV field and we were happy to have a chance to share what we do as a Clean Cities Coalition with the event attendees.

*Attendees listen to a presentation at Fleet Forward Event*

Off Road Vehicles - An Exciting New Market for EV’s- Discussion with Electric Dirt Bike Owner

We at VSCCC are excited about the recent emergence of electric vehicle technologies in off-highway vehicles. Outdoor recreation plays a large role in the economies of many of our states, especially here in Arizona. Motorized recreation in Arizona accounted for an estimated $5.2 billion dollars of economic value in the year 2020. (Duval et al., 2020) These off-highway vehicles represent a substantial number of gasoline fuel vehicles, that if replaced with electric, could make a real difference in lowering the amount of harmful emissions that are released into the environment.

For this reason, VSCCC arranged to have an electric dirt bike demonstration at the Ride and Drive session of last month’s Fleet Forward Event. The bike, a 2022 KTM Electric Free Ride, was provided courtesy of our friend Bridger Greenman. Bridger is an Arizona small business owner and avid trials agility and enduro rider. Trials and enduro racing are both very technical forms of off-road dirt bike riding. These competitions have riders navigate through trails filled with obstacles and difficult terrain.We talked with Bridger and asked him what his reasons were for purchasing an electric dirt bike for use in these races. He explained that there are many benefits that come with an electric dirt bike. They are light weight, quiet, and have instant acceleration with programmable power delivery capabilities. They also don’t release any harmful emissions!

When he bought his new 2022 KTM Electric Free Ride dirt bike, Bridger decided to modify it so that it could better handle the difficult conditions that he rides in. For example, he found that the factory KTM’s power train didn’t have the exact power characteristics he needed for his trials and enduro rides. To fix this, he designed and built his very own custom powertrain. Along with the powertrain, Bridger also wanted to decrease the weight of his dirt bike by building a lighter and more powerful battery pack. Bridger told us one of his favorite features of an electric dirt bike is the ability to program it with different levels of power delivery. To take advantage of this feature he installed an advanced programmable controller on his bike. This allows him to adjust the power delivery depending on the terrain he is riding through.

With these modifications, Bridger has found his electric dirt bike to be just as competitive as a traditional gasoline bike, even when riding in tough conditions. With more manufacturers starting to offer electric off road vehicles, we hope to see more people like our friend Bridger enjoying the great outdoors in zero emission vehicles.