Vermont Clean Cities Newsletter

Hosted at the UVM Transportation Research Center 

June 2014

IN THIS ISSUE
DOE News
Regional and National News
International News
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Welcome to the VTCCC Newsletter:

Your clearing house for news, programs, and funding information related to reducing the consumption of petroleum for transportation in Vermont.

 

Upcoming Events

Middleground EV Charging Ribbon Cutting 
July, 7th, 2014, 10:00 am-11:00 am
Red Hen Baking, 961 U.S. 2
Middlesex, VT 05602

 

Brown Bag Lecture Series: The Marine Engine Testing and Emissions Laboratory (METEL) at Maine Maritime Academy  

July 11, 2014, 12 pm- 1 pm
UVM Transportation Research Center
Farrell Hall, Burlington, VT
For more info click here

TRB Tools of the Trade-Optimal Location Models of Electric Vehicles Charging Equipment
July 21-23, 2014
Presented by Karen Glitman-
Director of Transportation Efficiency for DEV
870 Williston Rd. 
Burlington, VT

Natural Gas Vehicles - The Here and Now Technology, One Day Workshops

Alt Energy Summit

September 13-14, 2014

Mt. Washington Auto Rd, Gorham, NH

For more info click here  

 

Odyssey Day - National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day 

October 17, 2014  

Church Street, Burlington, VT  

For more info email Michelle McCutcheon-Schour 

 

 

DOE News

The National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy was recently launched, which will create a national support network to serve the clean energy small business and entrepreneur community, providing critical technical assistance and training services in order to bring these businesses and entrepreneurs closer to market readiness.
 

Vermont Clean Cities is pleased to support the Workplace Charging Challenge, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiative aiming to achieve a tenfold increase in the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging in the next five years. The Workplace Charging Challenge is helping fill the current infrastructure gap for plug-in electric vehicles.

Employers involved in the Workplace Charging Challenge range in size, industry, and geography but strive for a common goal to advance the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting electric vehicle technology and cutting petroleum use in transportation. For more information on how your business can get involved please click here  or contact Michelle McCutcheon-Schour

 
Vermont News 

Drive Electric Vermont is offering a 500-dollar incentive to purchase a totally electric, or plug in hybrid vehicle, this summer. 
The discount can be applied at one of seven dealerships from across the state anytime between now and August 15. 
 
Brattleboro has installed two Level 2, 100-amp electric
 vehicle charging stations on the first level of the transportation center. Brattleboro Ford is also taking part in a statewide incentive program that offers $500 to any Vermont resident who purchases an electric vehicle from the showroom on Putney Road.


Organizations in Vermont are asking their employees to drive less and walk, bike and carpool to work more often through individual incentives.
 
Regional and National News 

Tesla Puts Electric Car Patents Into Public Domain 

Electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors has released all
its patents to the public domain in a bid to accelerate development of electric vehicle technology.

 

 

System Will Bring Traffic Control to Your Fingertips 

Transportation officials in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine have signed a five-year, $4.1 million contract with a software firm to design a traffic management system that will provide real time travel data for the northern New England region.

  

The LAPD Just Got a Military-Grade Electric Bike for Stealth Missions

 The LAPD has recently launched a pilot program, bringing a Zero MMX electric motorcycle to their fleet. The bikes offer faster acceleration, ease of maneuvering through traffic, fuel efficiency as well as zero tailpipe emissions and no noise pollution.

 

  

Ryder Partners with Quantum to Offer New Technology for Compressed Natural Gas Truck Fleets   

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: QTWW), announced it has entered into a long-term agreement with Ryder System, Inc. for the purchase and supply of complete compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel systems that will help reduce costs and increase vehicle uptime for businesses that lease CNG trucks from Ryder.  


International News

In Geneva, Switzerland the Trolleybus Optimization Alimentation (TOSA) pilot experiment is testing a unique way of keeping vehicles charged. Anautomatic battery system attached to the roof of the bus will administer rapid flash charging at bus docks.
 

 

New research from the University of Bath suggests we might want to get our cars as hooked on java as we are. Regardless of the variety of coffee used, the UK institution has found that coffee grounds are a great source to create bio-diesel

 

A new discovery by scientists at the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), offers a viable solution to the challenges of storage and cost by using ammonia as a clean and secure hydrogen-containing energy source to produce hydrogen on-demand in situ.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

 

Vermont Electric Vehicle Incentive

Now is the time to buy or lease an electric car in Vermont. Drive Electric Vermont is offering a $500 incentive to consumers at point of purchase, made possible through a grant from VLITE, a public benefit, nonprofit corporation. This pilot program has funding for 75 participants, so each dealership will have a very limited quantity available. This is a great opportunity for Vermonters to save on a plug-in vehicle that will continue rewarding owners with reduced gasoline and maintenance costs. Shop early for your best chance to participate! For more information click here.

 

VFDA Electric Vehicle Charging Station Loan Program (Natural Gas Refueling Stations are also Eligible)  

This program is funded through the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB), which is operated by the Vermont Economic Development Authority in conjunction with the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.  Electric vehicle charging stations and natural gas refueling stations available for public use are eligible for SIB financing.  For more information about electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging station technology, please visit www.driveelectricvt.com.  Drive Electric Vermont is a project of the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) in partnership with the State of Vermont and a broad array of stakeholders advancing electric vehicle technology. For more information click here.

Advancing Clean Vehicle Technologies in New York

The New York Truck - Voucher Incentive Program (NYT-VIP) is a $19 million 'first come - first served' incentive program funded through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) that aims to accelerate the deployment of alternative fuel vehicles and diesel emission control devices (DECDs) for medium to heavy duty commercial fleets in New York. NYT-VIP comprises of three unique funds that will be administered in different stages throughout the three-year program. By promoting the use of advanced vehicle technologies, NYT-VIP will help reduce diesel emissions and promote a more fuel independent New York.

Vendors (dealers) that market and sell alternative fuel vehicles and DECDs can apply for a voucher incentive to reduce the cost to the Vehicle Purchaser. Once the Vehicle Purchaser receives the new vehicle or DECD at the discounted rate, the vendor will be redeemed the full voucher amount. For more information click here
 
Propane Mower Incentive Program

The Propane Mower Incentive Program offers up $1,000 for qualifying original equipment propane mowers and $500 for qualifying propane conversions. A list of the qualifying equipment is available on the website. All conversions must be EPA and/or CARB certified. The applicant must agree to provide PERC with a season's worth of mower performance and fuel usage data in exchange for the incentive. For landscape contractors, fuel costs play a huge role in profitability. With the Propane Mower Incentive Program, we'll give you $1,000 per qualifying new mower purchase or $500 per qualifying mower conversion to help us document the cost savings and benefits that propane-fueled mowers can deliver. In return, you'll provide feedback and performance data for one mowing season. For more info contact Alison Dimond or click here.    

  
FREE 8-Hour First Responder Safety Online Training for Electric Drive Vehicles

Not all firefighters are able to participate in classroom-based training due to location, cost, and time constraints. Because of this, the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) is excited to announce a limited number of firefighter scholarships to obtain FREE online Electric Drive Vehicle First Responder Safety Training. The NAFTC's award-winning Electric Drive Vehicle First Responder Safety Training online course will equip firefighters with the knowledge they need to safely respond to automotive incidents involving electric drive vehicles, including:  

- Hybrid Electric Vehicles  

- Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles  

- Battery Electric Vehicles  

- Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

Participants in the self-paced, eight-hour Electric Drive Vehicle First Responder Safety Training online course will learn about different electric drive vehicle configurations and their built-in safety systems, how to identify an electric drive vehicle at an accident scene, battery technologies, electric vehicle systems, and how to approach, assess, and secure advanced electric drive vehicles. Participants will also complete online modules for personal protective equipment and gear, crash and fire, and extrication. For more information click here.  


Go Vermont Grassroots Grants For Energy Committees

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) Public Transit Section is offering grants to municipalities to assist in building a statewide outreach and advocacy network for the Go Vermont Program (www.connectingcommuters.org). VTrans will provide a $500 grant to participating municipal energy committees. Go Vermont is a web-based clearinghouse for all transportation modes in Vermont, featuring an automated carpool, vanpool and public transit matching service, a vanpool program, information for State Park and Ride locations, and a link to "511" traffic conditions. The project objectives are as follows:

  • Broaden Go Vermont outreach efforts
  • Build relationships with local committees and advocates
  • Identify local and regional transportation priorities and activities
  • Increase traffic to the Go Vermont website and tools (www.connectingcommuters.org)
  • Focus regional and local initiatives and advocacy efforts.
  • The ultimate goal of this program is to increase program awareness, carpool registrations, numbers of van-pools and general activity on the Go Vermont website.

For more information contact Ross MacDonald or click here

Weekly

Petro-Stats

                         Gas at the Pump, VT        Crude Oil Futures 

 

Current                 $3.74 /gallon                  $107.26/barrel 

One Month Ago    $3.74 /gallon                  $103.74/barrel

One Year Ago       $3.59 /gallon                  $97.86/barrel


Michelle

Best Regards,

Michelle McCutcheon-Schour
Coordinator, Vermont Clean Cities Coalition
 
 

Funding for the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition is provided by the US Department of Energy.