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Clean Cities Coalitions 2020 Activity Report
12/29/2021
Clean Cities coalition activities resulted in an EUI of nearly 1 billion GGE, comprised of net alternative fuels used and energy savings from efficiency projects, in 2020. Clean Cities coalition and stakeholder participation in vehicle and infrastructure development projects remained strong, although transportation activity and resulting EUI decreased in 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Coalition-reported activities prevented nearly 5 million carbon dioxide-equivalent tons of emissions (only GHG emissions are reported here; criteria pollutants and other emissions are not included in this report). The GHG benefits increased in 2020 despite a decrease in EUI because coalitions focused more on technologies with higher GHG benefits per GGE reduced and because the lifecycle of many alternative fuels such as electricity or biofuels is becoming less carbon intense. Coalitions were successful in securing project grant awards from numerous outside (non-DOE) sources. The 90 project grant awards in 2020 generated $151 million in funds from coalition members and project partners in addition to $12.8 million in DOE grant funds. Coalitions also collected $1.1 million in stakeholder dues and $3.1 million in operational funds from host organizations. In macro terms, this non-DOE supplemental funding represents a 4:1 leveraging of the $38 million that was included in the VTO Technology Integration budget in 2020. Clean Cities coordinators spent nearly 135,700 hours pursuing their coalitions’ goals in 2020. The average coordinator is quite experienced and has held the coordinator position for nearly eight years. Coordinators logged more than 3,290 outreach, education, and training activities in 2020, which reached an estimated 31 million people. Activities that reached underserved communities were tracked for the first time in 2020 and accounted for 17% of all activities.
Authors: Singer, M.; Johnson, C.
Straight Vegetable Oil as a Diesel Fuel?
12/20/2021
Biodiesel, a renewable fuel produced from animal fats or vegetable oils, is popular among many vehicle owners and fleet managers seeking to reduce emissions and support U.S. energy security. Questions sometimes arise about the viability of fueling vehicles with straight vegetable oil (SVO), or waste oils from cooking and other processes, without intermediate processing. But SVO and waste oils differ from biodiesel (and conventional diesel) in some important ways and are generally not considered acceptable vehicle fuels.
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator: Second Quarter 2021
12/16/2021
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator contains information on public and private non-residential alternative fueling stations in the United States and Canada and currently tracks ethanol (E85), biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, and propane stations. Of these fuels, EV charging continues to experience rapidly changing technology and growing infrastructure. This report provides a snapshot of the state of EV charging infrastructure in the United States in the second calendar quarter of 2021. Using data from the Station Locator, this report breaks down the growth of public and private charging infrastructure by charging level, network, and location. Additionally, this report measures the current state of charging infrastructure compared with the amount projected to meet charging demand by 2030. This information is intended to help transportation planners, policymakers, researchers, infrastructure developers, and others understand the rapidly changing landscape for EV charging.
Authors: Brown, A.; Levene, J.; Schayowitz, A.; Klotz, E.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, October 2021
12/15/2021
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for October 2021 is a quarterly report on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue describes prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between October 1, 2021 and October 15, 2021, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 2 reports that the nationwide average price (all amounts are per gallon) for regular gasoline has increased 16 cents from $3.09 to $3.25; diesel increased 22 cents from $3.26 to $3.48; CNG increased 11 cents from $2.22 to $2.33; ethanol (E85) increased 11 cents from $2.62 to $2.73; propane increased 19 cents from $2.98 to $3.17; and biodiesel (B20) increased 24 cents from $3.05 to $3.29.
According to Table 3, CNG is 92 cents less than gasoline on an energy- equivalent basis and E85 is 30 cents more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Bourbon, E.
Ethanol Production in the United States: The Roles of Policy, Price, and Demand
11/26/2021
Assessments of the impact of the U.S. renewable fuel standard (RFS) should inform consideration of future biofuels policy. Conventional wisdom suggests the RFS played a major role in stimulating the ten-fold expansion in ethanol production and consumption in the United States from 2002 to 2019, but evidence increasingly suggests the RFS may have had a smaller effect than previously assumed. Price competitiveness, federal and state policies such as reformulated gasoline requirements, and octane content in ethanol also affect market attractiveness. This study explores the roles of policy and economic factors by comparing historical data with results from scenarios simulated in a system dynamics model.
Authors: Newes, E.; Clark, C.; Vimmerstedt, L.; Peterson, S.; Burkholder, D.; Korotney, D.; Inman, D.
History of Ethanol Fuel Adoption in the United States: Policy, Economics, and Logistics
11/1/2021
Of all the alternative transportation fuels that have been researched, developed, and deployed in the United States, ethanol has achieved the greatest market share. There are multiple lessons to be learned from the history of ethanol adoption that can be applied to future fuels and products. This report documents the roughly 50 years it took for ethanol to achieve the market share it sees today.
Authors: Johnson, C.; Moriary, K.; Alleman, T.; Santini, D.
The State of Managed Charging in 2021
11/1/2021
With the increasing growth of the electric vehicle market and the resulting implications for the power system, managed charging programs are non-negotiable. Utilities are developing programs that will avoid distribution upgrade bottlenecks and mitigate unnecessary costs for utilities. This report provides an overview of how utilities can optimize managed charging programs and includes case studies and a guide to solution providers.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed through Smart Electric Power Alliance's website.
Electric Ride-Hailing Charging Infrastructure: Needs Assessment and Equitable Siting in Houston
10/21/2021
The reach and use of ride-hailing services have greatly expanded in major urban areas in the United States and globally. As ride-hailing continues to grow as an important pillar of the mobility ecosystem, such fleets raise questions related to their environmental and mobility impacts, and electrification offers an opportunity to eliminate the vehicles’ local emissions. This paper quantifies the number of ride-hailing direct current fast chargers needed in Houston to support a growing electric ride-hailing fleet from 2021 through 2030. It identifies priority sites that expand infrastructure equity and access in the city, with a focus on city-owned properties. The paper also summarizes best practices in equitable clean mobility investments and discusses the policies and actions that can facilitate ride-hailing electrification and contribute to equitable outcomes.
Authors: Hsu C.; Slowik, P.
Notes: This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the International Council on Clean Transportation website.
Future-Proofing Convenience Stores for EV Charging
10/12/2021
Direct current fast charging is the optimal technology for electric vehicle (EV) charging at convenience stores. This document helps convenience retailers plan for EV charging infrastructure at new liquid fueling sites. With careful planning and efficient site design, ground-up facilities can be constructed to keep fuels convenient and safe for store personnel and the public.
Compendium of Idling Regulations
10/1/2021
The American Transportation Research Institute has issued a list of idling regulations, current as of January 2019, passed by several cities, counties, and states. Included are Maricopa County, Arizona; California; Placer County, California; City of Sacramento, California; City of Aspen and City and County of Denver, Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; District of Columbia; City of Atlanta, Georgia; Hawaii; several cities and counties in Illinois; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Owatonna, and St. Cloud, Minnesota; City and County of St. Louis, Missouri; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York State; New York City; New Rochelle, New York; Rockland County, New York; Philadelphia and Alleghany County, Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; several cities and counties in Texas; Utah; and Virginia.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Sustainable Aviation Fuel Logistics and Production Study
10/1/2021
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) sustainability commitment is to meet the goals set by the Paris Agreement, with an interim greenhouse gas reduction target of 35% by 2025 and 80% by 2050. PANYNJ is seeking sustainable solutions to reduce carbon emissions for all public forms of transportation, including aviation. Similarly, the global aviation industry adopted the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which seeks to cap net carbon dioxide (CO2) aviation emissions at 2020 levels through 2035. Industry has also set a goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 50% compared to 2005 levels by 2050. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), made from non-petroleum feedstocks, is a near-term alternative fuel that reduces emissions from air transportation. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a resource assessment and a techno-economic analysis to identify the potential for production in the port district. Although SAF could be sourced from other areas of the United States or imported, an evaluation of local production was conducted due to the potential positive impacts of a circular economy by converting local waste feedstocks into SAF for use at nearby airports. The study found that the highest volumes of feedstock nearby were municipal solid waste and woody biomass. SAF must be blended with Jet A up to certain percent determined by ASTM International fuel quality standards prior to use in aircraft. SAF from a stand-alone facility could be delivered by barge, rail, or truck to a Linden, New Jersey based terminal for blending with Jet A or it could be blended in the Gulf region and shipped via the Colonial pipeline to one of the terminals. The investment will take place at the terminal(s) to accommodate SAF/Jet A blends and it will be business as usual for the airports in how they receive fuel and distribute it to aircraft.
Authors: Moriarty, K.; Milbrandt, A.; Tao, L.
There's No Place Like Home: Residential Parking, Electrical Access, and Implications for the Future of EV Charging Infrastructure
10/1/2021
The current foundation of U.S. charging infrastructure has been built upon charging at residential locations, where vehicles tend to be parked for long durations overnight. As the electric vehicle (EV) market expands beyond early adopters (typically high-income, single-family homes that have access to off-street parking) to mainstream consumers, planners must consider developing charging infrastructure solutions for households without consistent access to overnight home charging. In situations where residential off-street charging access is unattainable, a portfolio of solutions may be possible, including providing access to public charging in residential neighborhoods (on street), at workplaces, at commonly visited public locations, and (when necessary) at centralized locations via high power fast charging infrastructure (similar to existing gas stations). This report identifies charging access trends with respect to residence type and infers national residential charging access scenarios as a function of the national EV fleet size.
Authors: Ge, Y.; Simeone, C; Duvall, A.; Wood, E.
Hydrogen Station Network Self-Sufficiency Analysis per Assembly Bill 8
10/1/2021
Assembly Bill 8, 2013, asks the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission to evaluate hydrogen fueling station development and operation against a standard of financial self-sufficiency. A self-sufficient network demonstrates the ability to continue operations and growth without further state financial support. This self-sufficiency study evaluates the economics of potential future scenarios for growth in California’s network of hydrogen fueling stations, assesses the amount of state support that could maintain network growth and operation until the network demonstrates self-sufficiency, and estimates the timing to achieve self-sufficiency.
A Comparison of Nitrogen Oxide Emissions from Heavy-Duty Diesel, Natural Gas, and Electric Vehicles
9/21/2021
Diesel, natural gas, and electric heavy-duty vehicles can be designed and manufactured with the capability of complying with the ultra-low nitrogen oxide (NOx) limits envisioned in the next set of California and federal heavy-duty vehicle regulations. This briefing compares the capabilities of these three powertrain types in meeting an ultra-low NOx standard across four key areas: feasibility, cost, health impacts, and climate impacts.
Authors: Muncrief, R.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed on The International Council on Clean Transportation's website.
