Reminder - Transportation Grant Program – Applications Due October 15
The goal of this program is to aid in the development of a cleaner and more efficient transportation system in Maryland. This program will make awards for projects in the following three categories:
- Biofuels including renewable liquid or gaseous fuels
- Electric transportation
- Consumer behavior modification
In this program biofuels are defined as; E85 and biodiesel (minimum blends of B20). Fuels must meet ASTM specifications. E85 is an 85 percent ethanol blended gasoline fuel, and B20 is a 20 percent soybean (or other renewable feedstock) oil blended diesel fuel. Renewable liquid or gaseous fuels could include but are not limited to butanol, hydrogen and ammonia. Electric transportation is defined as; plug-in electric hybrid vehicles and equipment, all electric vehicles and equipment, heavy duty hybrid vehicles with associated equipment and idle reduction equipment powered by electricity. Grant awards will range from $2,000 to $100,000.
For a full grant program description and for the application form, please see http://www.energy.state.md.us/incentives/transportation/index.asp
$1MM in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Funding Available from Baltimore Regional Transportation Board for Projects in Baltimore Region
The BRTB has the authority to select $1 million worth of CMAQ projects. A competitive selection process for this funding has been set up and the BRTB is now accepting applications. The purpose of the CMAQ program, which is administered by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, is to provide funding for transportation programs and projects that reduce air pollution emissions from the transportation system. This funding is provided to state and local governments to assist them in reaching federal air quality requirements established by the Clean Air Act and its amendments. The deadline for submitting applicationsis November 4, 2008, 2:00 p.m.
A presentation describing the application process can be viewed here BRTB CMAQ Application Workshop Presentation
For more information including application forms, please go here.
Federal News
- Bills Includes Tax Credits for PHEVs (September 25) – The Senate has passed a bill that includes tax credits for PHEVs. The base credit is $2,500 for a vehicle with at least 4kWh (previous versions had a 9kWh minimum capacity requirement), adding $417 for each kWh above that to a maximum of $7,500 credit. Under these criteria the Chevy Volt (16kWh) would receive a $7,300 credit. A production Toyota Prius PHEV would likely only receive $2,500 since it uses a much smaller battery pack than the Chevy Volt. The House version of the bill has a 5kWh minimum battery capacity requirement and a maximum value of $5,000 per vehicle. Link.
- House Passes $25B in Auto Loans to General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler LLC (September 24) – The House passed the bill (370-58) that approves the $25B in loans to the General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler that will help the companies to retool their factories to produce more fuel efficient cars. Under the program, automakers must build vehicles that are at least 25 percent more efficient than required by federal rules to qualify for retooling money. The U.S. Energy Department must issue its final rules for the loan program within 60 days of becoming law. Automakers will be able to repay loans over as much as 25 years and the Energy Department will be able to defer repayment for up to five years. Link.
2008 National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Odyssey Day
National Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Day Odyssey is a biennial celebration dedicated to promoting AFVs and advanced technology and energy-efficient vehicles organized by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) headquartered at West Virginia University. This year's exciting event will take place on several days in Maryland and the metropolitan Washington DC area between September 20th and October 3rd partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities Program in celebration of its 15-year anniversary, and is expected to attract over 50,000 attendees and reach over 50 million individuals through media coverage. The event focuses on increasing the education and public awareness that is necessary to further develop the alternative transportation technologies, lessen our dependence on foreign oil, and support the manufacturers that are making these vehicles a viable option for individuals everywhere. With everyone joining together on one day, working toward the same goals, we compound our individual efforts to make the same bold statement... Together, We Can Make a Difference.
For more information, visit: www.nationalafvdayodyssey.org/
The Washington DC and Northern Virginia events were scheduled prior to October 3rd, and have already taken place. The event in the Maryland is scheduled for:
- Maryland
- When: Friday, October 3
- Where: Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus, The School of Applied and Information Technology, 800 South Rolling Road, Baltimore, MD 21228
- What: This year’s Odyssey focused on automotive choices, cleaner transportation, and preserving America’s energy independence. Five hundred participants from various two- and four-year colleges, high school instructors, students, fleet management companies, certified auto centers, body shops, department of agriculture, department of natural resources, MD vehicle administration, service stations, MD public TV, MD port administration, MD Transit Administration, U.S. Army Environmental Center, and various local television stations came out to learn about alternative fuels and cleaner choices in transportation. Educational sessions featured expert training for automotive technicians and mechanics on the operation and maintenance of alternative fuel vehicles, while participants examined the latest models in AFVs and had an opportunity to ride in an MTA hybrid bus.
- Contact: Terry Wolfe, 410-455-4968, twolfe@ccbcmd.edu
Renewable Diesel Refinery Slated for Baltimore
Florida based New Generation Biofuels Holdings Inc., formerly H2Diesel, said it has signed a lease to build a commercial-scale refinery on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay. The refinery will be capable of producing 25 million gallons annually from vegetable oil, animal fat, and other feedstocks. The plant is expected to be operational Q1 2009.
Click here for the press release
Caterpillar Approve Use of B20 Blends in Compact and Mid-Range Industrial Engines
Caterpillar approved the use of B20 biodiesel blends across its range of compact and mid-range engines including the C0.5 through C2.2 Tier 4 Interim (11-66 hp), the C4.4, C4.4 ACERT® and C6.6 ACERT® (72-275 hp) Tier 3/Stage IIIA compliant engines.
Click here for the press release
2008 Cellulosic Ethanol Summit– November 17-19, 2008 – Coral Gables, FL
The 2009 Cellulosic Ethanol Summit, gathers all participants in the cellulosic ethanol value chain each year to help advance the development of the nation’s cellulosic ethanol industry including leaders from the agricultural, biotech, technology, developer, oil, auto and financial communities. Presentations and discussions will report on the current state of development activities, consider the next steps forward, and share their perspectives on the progress in reaching the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol. The Summit, hailed as one of the finest cellulosic ethanol events of its kind in the nation, promises to be bigger and better than ever before, with an unprecedented consortium of 100+ speakers, sponsors, supporting organizations and media partners. The conference generated capacity crowds at its previous two editions.
2009 Biodiesel Conference – February 1-4, 2009 – San Francisco, CA
The 2009 Biodiesel Conference, hosted by the National Biodiesel Board [NBB], will take place in San Francisco, CA from February 1st through the 4th. Early-bird registration ends November 14th. The conference covers all aspects of biodiesel from production methods to production for the current (1st) generation biodiesel as well as future (2nd) generation fuels. Also covered are vehicle impacts, emissions impacts, sustainability issues, and many others.
2008 Growing Beyond Oil – December 1-3, 2008 – Quebec, Canada
The 2008 Growing Beyond Oil – 5th Annual Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit discusses ethanol, biodiesel, and other renewable biofuels. The conference includes some U.S. only sessions and presentations, but also includes perspectives from non-US presenters and panelists.
AFVi - Fleet Solutions: Light-Duty OEM Product Preview 2009 Webinar - October 21, 2008
AFVi will hold a webinar with vehicle manufacturers to catalog and discuss the alternative fuel vehicle options available for MY 2009. More information including registration will be available soon at http://www.afvi.org/webinars.html.
E85 Now Available at Germantown Town Center Chevron
The Germantown Town Center Chevron on September 26, 2008 with a press event, speakers and a ribbon cutting. E85 fuel was sold for $1.85 for 185 minutes, along with refreshments, photo opportunities and opportunities for information exchange and questions. The FlexFuel Vehicle Club is working with the Clean Fuels Foundation, Clean Fuels Development Coalition, to help Mid Atlantic, LLC, GM, VeraSun, Fitzgerald AutoMall, the Maryland Grain Producers Association (MGPA), Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB), the Department of Energy's Clean Cities Program to celebrate the opening of five new stations in Maryland. Grant funding was provided by the Maryland Energy Administration as well as US Department of Energy. The event was held at the Chevron Station, which is located at 12301 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874.
Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Update
A detailed compilation of relevant alternative fuel, hybrid-electric, emissions reduction and other fuel efficiency improvement news in light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles.
Click here for the detailed list
Stakeholder Accomplishment Stories
As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, Maryland Clean Cities wants to highlight the successes and challenges of one of the coalition stakeholder each month. This gives stakeholders an opportunity to gain some recognition for the work they are doing to promote alternative fuels in their fleet and to potentially help fellow stakeholders who may be going through similar struggles.
Stakeholder News Updates
Please forward information to Chris Rice (crice@energy.state.md.us) for your story, accomplishments, or announcements to be included in future newsletters.
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