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September 2018 Edition
National Drive Electric Week, Clean Fuel Standard Public Forum, Member Updates, GTSE Call For Proposals,
Electric Bus Funding
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Gaseous Fuel Safety Training Opportunities
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Gaseous fuels, like natural gas and propane autogas, are clean burning alternative fuels that can provide a quick return on investment for many fleets. But, like many most fuels, gaseous fuels are flammable. How do you ensure they're stored and handled correctly?
Western Washington Clean Cities is hosting two free training opportunities next month on gaseous fuel safety and storage.
The training courses will cover a variety of topics:
- Properties of gas
- Safety issues and failure scenarios
- Code overview and application
- Best practices -- designing for certain building types
- Best application of equipment options
- Cold vs. warm weather garages
- Special spaces (paint booth, adjacent spaces)
- Cost data
- Case studies
Each training will end with a tour of a gaseous fuels facility. Participants will receive a certificate of completion, a course manual ($45 value), and a free lunch!
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Fuel Focus: Propane Autogas
Tour: City of Edmonds
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Fuel Focus: Natural Gas
Tour: Potelco & SeaTac Airport's Rental Car Shuttle Bus Facility
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NAFA Sustainable Fleet Recap
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Earlier this month, Western Washington Clean Cities partnered with the Puget Sound chapter of the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) to host a Sustainable Fleet Management Training & Green Fleet Showcase at the LeMay Car Museum in Tacoma. This event brought more than 30 fleet managers and policymakers together from all over the state of Washington.
Attendees learned about a range of green fleet topics, from alternative fuels and idle reduction to rightsizing and lifecycle cost analyses. Participants also had the opportunity to earn a certificate in sustainable fleet management, hear from multiple fuel and technology providers -- Blue Star Gas, REG, SeQuential, & the Northwest Alliance for Clean Transportation among them -- as well as take a closer look at alt fuel vehicles, such as a battery electric bus and a propane-fueled street sweeper.
Thanks to NAFA for a successful training! Stay tuned for future joint events between our two organizations as we look to make Washington's fleets cleaner.
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A Record-Setting Drive Electric Week
This year's National Drive Electric Week -- September 8-16 -- was a record-setting success! In all, 327 events were convened across the U.S. and Canada, with over 7,000 vehicles and 20,000 registered attendees, raising the visibility of electric vehicles to countless more people. Learn more about the week's statistics
here
.
Washington had at least 13 Drive Electric Week events across the state. Clean Cities was able to attend events in Steilacoom and Bellevue where we had many interesting conversations about the benefits of EVs and handed out our newly-revamped guidebook --
Welcome to the EVolution
. We even got the chance to test out our newest friend -- a remote control (electric) car!
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Considering A Clean Fuel Standard
Transportation is the number one source of air and climate pollution in the Puget Sound region – over 13 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year.
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has set a target of reducing climate pollution by 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and is considering adopting a regional Clean Fuel Standard to help meet that target.
The Agency will host a public forum on
Thursday, November 15, 5:30-8 p.m.
, in Seattle for interested parties to voice their questions and feedback on a potential regional Clean Fuel Standard
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Find out who is paving the way in the field of alternative fuels.
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City of Tacoma: Deep Discounts For Electric Transportation
The City of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Utilities are offering electrifying discounts for EVs and e-bikes!
The discounts are available to anybody (even those who live outside of Tacoma), but are provided directly through each participating dealership.
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Washington State Department of Commerce: Green Vehicle Loan Program
One of the recipients is the Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union. The credit union is using a portion of the CEF grant funds toward its
GreenUp Loans program
, which offers a discounted loan rate for buying an electric, hybrid, or clean diesel vehicle, as well as separate loan rates for those looking to purchase bicycles or kayaks.
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Snohomish County PUD: Demonstrating Vehicle-To-Grid Technology
Last month, the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) broke ground on a new "
Microgrid & Clean Energy Technology Center
" near Arlington Airport. The microgrid, scheduled to be completed by 2020, will be used to demonstrate new energy technologies, including using PUD's electric vehicles to connect to the grid for energy storage.
The project is made possible in part by a $3.5 million grant from the Washington Clean Energy Fund through the State Department of Commerce.
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City of Seattle: Climate Challenge Winner
Seattle will now embark on a two-year acceleration program to meet or beat their own carbon reduction goals. Among other actions, the additional resources are intended to help incentivize non-car modes of transportation (public transit, biking, walking) and advance strategies based on the City's congestion pricing study.
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Believe it or not, it's already time to mark your calendars for the 2019 Green Transportation Summit & Expo!
Next year's GTSE -- May 21-23 in Tacoma -- is currently seeking proposals on a variety of topics related to alternative fuels and vehicles. For more information and a complete list of topics and submission types,
visit GTSE's website
.
The deadline for proposals is October 19, 2018.
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Grants Available For Electric Buses
The Washington State Department of Ecology has announced funding for transit agencies seeking to switch from diesel to electric power.
Ecology will provide up to $500,000 per bus to help cover the cost difference between a new diesel powered transit bus and a new all-electric transit bus and up to $400,000 for a repowered all-electric engine.
Approximately $9.5 million is available from the Volkswagen Settlement funds.
Grant applications are due by November 8, 2018. Some eligibility requirements apply.
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