The Department of Energy established Clean Cities in 1993, in a time when few people had heard of alternative fuels. Today, Clean Cities has helped displace more than 5 billion gallons of petroleum through the work of local coalitions and their stakeholders across the nation. In fact, the terms,”sustainable” and “clean energy” have become buzz word in the public and private sectors, who have been seeking ways to operate with sustainability in mind, especially as the impacts of climate change are becoming more evident.
The need for alternative fuel awareness is imperative in light of environmental impacts and the price of oil fluctuating. Thus, in part by Clean Cities, there are now 200 alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles on the market and 27,000 alternative fueling and charging stations in operation across the country. While these past accomplishments are indeed something to be proud of, Clean Cities continues to look forward, aiming to displace more than 2.5 billion gallons of petroleum-based fuel per year by 2020, and continue to find new ways to shift communities and fleets to a more sustainable transportation future. 