SDCleanFuels.org (San Diego Clean Cities), in partnership with The National Renewable Energy Laborator (NREL) and the U.S. Department of Energy brought an Alternative Fuels and Vehicles Workshop (EPAct) to San Diego. The day long event was part of a nationwide series of workshops designed to provide regional stakeholders with technical, regulatory, and networking support. It was most beneficial in assisting EPAct-regulated fleets in overcoming alternative fuels and vehicle deployment barriers.
The workshop was intended to educate stakeholders of their statutory and regulatory alternative fuel and vehicle use obligations, provide an overview of available alternative fuels and vehicles, and provide a hands-on live overview of web-based mapping tools by fuel type. In addition, it provided discussion opportunities designed to solve technical and logistical hurdles that prevent collaboration among stakeholders.
The presentations were well organized and very informative for the diverse group. The EPAct-Mandated fleet compliance requirements were followed by options for consideration in meeting those requirements. Alternative fuels must have infrastructure; merely switching fleet vehicles to one alternative was not the best choice if there were no reasonably located fueling stations for that alternative. The options discussed included Bio-Diesel, CNG, Propane, Ethanol, and Electric. Infrastructure was also discussed, which includes fleet mapping and fueling location. Solutions for alternative fuel locations included: in-house development, software, and online location systems. After the presentations there was a break-out session and lunch, which gave many of the attendees a chance to collaborate and discuss the solutions. This also provided an atmosphere in which everyone could make the personal connections needed to make these solutions a reality. The attendees left the workshop with the information and contacts necessary to enhance opportunities, to achieve compliance, and to expand deployment of alternative fuels and vehicles.
Tools and Resources for Fleets