Clean Fuels Ohio Awarded $11 Million for Cleaner, Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Fueling Infrastructure Development
Is this Ohio's future? Portland General Electric in Portland, OR recently opened five charging stations for electric cars.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $11.4 million in economic stimulus funding to Clean Fuels Ohio through the U.S. DOE Clean Cities Grant program. Funds will be used to support the deployment of 283 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles plus refueling infrastructure for 26 government and private sector partners throughout Ohio. Including matching support from local partners and additional industry supporters, the award embodies an investment of nearly $30 million in alternative fuel vehicle and infrastructure projects across the state.
"This is the most comprehensive and ambitious deployment of advanced transportation energy refueling infrastructure and vehicle technology ever in our state. It will help develop markets for a wide range of cleaner transportation technologies that will help Ohio's economy, our environment and make us more energy secure," said Sam Spofforth, Clean Fuels Ohio's Director.
In all, the DOE selected 23 projects out of 90 considered for awards of up to $15 million each. Five projects, including Clean Fuels Ohio's, were from Midwestern states. Featured technologies within Clean Fuels Ohio's project include: compressed natural gas, propane, battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles.
In the category of propane, 112 vehicles and five refueling stations are to be deployed by Ace Taxi Service, City of Cincinnati, Columbus Green Cabs, Columbus Regional Airport Authority, Moyer Industries, Pike-Delta-York Local Schools, Sharp Community Resources and Cleveland Yellow Cab. Ferrell Gas will supply fuel for some of these projects. MedCorp Green will perform some of the conversions of gasoline vehicles to propane.
As part of its commitment to global sustainability initiatives, New York Institute of Technology has installed a solar carport to charge its three new zero-emission, electric Vantage cargo vans.
In the category of compressed natural gas, 91 vehicles plus eight refueling stations are to be deployed by Ansonia City Schools, City of Columbus, City of Dublin, Friends Business Source, Industrial Fluid Management, Kramer Enterprises, Kirk Energy Group, Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Rumpke and Streackers Tractor Sales. Some of the natural gas will likely be biogas methane supplied from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio Green Energy Center or through IGS Energy, a natural gas marketer.
In the category of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles plus charging stations: 38 battery electric vehicles and two plug-in hybrid electric vehicles deployed by City of Hamilton, Columbus Regional Airport Authority, Frito Lay, Staples, and Toledo Convention Center. Most of the battery electric vehicles are slated to be all-electric box trucks. AeroVironment, an Electric Vehicle charging system maker, is positioned to provide some of the charging systems.
In the category of hybrid electric vehicles: 40 vehicles to be deployed by City of Columbus, Energy Optimizers, Franklin County, Hamilton County, Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District. The deployment of these 283 vehicles will displace an average of 875,927 gallons of petroleum fuel per year, with most fleets expecting vehicles to perform a minimum of 10 years of service. This reduction in petroleum fuel directly relates to major reductions in harmful transportation emissions such as carbon dioxide, volatile organic carbons, nitrous oxide and particulate matter. The project is designed to stimulate broader, ongoing activity in all of these advanced transportation fuel and vehicle technologies.
For more information, visit www.cleanfuelsohio.org.
Clean Fuels Ohio is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the use of cleaner, domestic fuels and efficient vehicles to the transportation industry, government officials and the general public. It provides technical support to transportation professionals, advocate for sustainable transportation energy policies and serve as a resource clearinghouse for fleets, policy makers and the public.