South Coast Air Quality Management District

Technology Committee

SYNOPSIS: 

The Technology Committee met on April 27, 2001. Major items included Technology Advancement items reflected in the regular Board Agenda for the May and June Board meetings. A summary of these topics with the Committee's comments is provided. The next Technology Committee meeting will be on May 25, 2001 at 12:00 p.m. in CC-8.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Hal Bernson, Chair
Technology Committee

Attendance: Committee Vice-Chair Leonard Paulitz and Committee member Norma Glover were in attendance at AQMD headquarters. Committee Chair Hal Bernson and Committee members William Burke and Roy Wilson participated by video-teleconference.

Committee Chair Hal Bernson asked the Committee to consider a consent calendar format for this meeting. Vice Chair Leonard Paulitz polled the Committee members for their opinions. It was moved (Paulitz) and seconded (Burke) that the agenda would be handled in a consent format.
All following items on the agenda were approved.

May Board Agenda Items

1. Execute Contract to Co-Sponsor Study of Children’s Pollutant Exposures During School Bus Commutes - CARB is in the process of initiating an interagency agreement with CE-CERT to conduct a study to characterize school bus commute exposures to diesel particles and other air pollutants experienced by children while riding on school buses, waiting at bus stops, or waiting near idling buses. The study is intended to focus on diesel buses, but also includes natural gas buses as well. Additional testing is needed to study exposures from buses equipped with particulate traps. This action is to execute a contract with CE-CERT to conduct the additional testing for an amount not to exceed $59,000. CARB’s portion of the study is $450,000.
   
   Chairman William Burke asked that a letter indicating that the SCAQMD participate in this study be directed to all Board Members of the California Air Resources Board.
   
   
2. Execute Memorandum of Agreement Establishing the Port of Los Angeles Carl Moyer Air Quality Standards Attainment Assistance Program, and Recognize and Appropriate Funds for Use on Qualifying Projects within Port Jurisdictional Boundaries - Under a proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), the Port of Los Angeles is offering $316,410 to the AQMD for use as local matching funds under the Moyer Program to be used for projects within the Port boundaries. As part of the MOA, the Port will assist AQMD in the review, evaluation, monitoring and reporting processes as they apply to marine applications in areas under its jurisdiction. This action is to approve the MOA, recognize funds of $316,410 from the Port, and appropriate these funds to the Carl Moyer Fund Account.
   
   
3. Execute Grant Agreement with the Jurupa Unified School District to Replace their Existing School Bus Fleet with Lower Emitting Buses and the Required Infrastructure - The Board, at its March 16, 2001 meeting, allocated $3 million from the $17 million one-time revenue realized from the AES settlement to Jurupa Unified School District. The proposed funding together with co-funding from Jurupa Unified School District and other potential sources will be utilized to replace 34 type 1 diesel buses with CNG buses, nine type 2 diesel buses with gasoline buses, and to install the required infrastructure for fueling of the CNG buses. The successful implementation of this program will reduce children’s exposure to harmful diesel exhaust.
   
   
4. Issue RFP for Development and Demonstration of Alternative Fuel or Hybrid-Electric Midsize School Bus - Local school districts have a growing need for midsize (30 feet) buses. This action is to issue a RFP to develop and demonstrate a midsize alternative fuel and/or hybrid-electric school buses powered with microturbines. The RFP calls for the cooperative efforts of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in microturbine, electric and hybrid-electric chassis, bus, and technology integration experts. Funding for the development of 2 alternative fuels buses is $600,000, and funding for the development of the hybrid-electric school buses is $1,400,000.

June Board Agenda Items

5. Execute Contract to Co-Sponsor Development and Evaluation of a Tri-Fuel, Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle with Vehicle-to-Grid Power Flow - The convergence of transportation, electric power, and communications technologies is creating opportunities to share assets between the transportation and power generation sectors, increase the commercial potential in both areas and reduce air pollutant emissions. AC Propulsion will develop a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle using the latest clean engine technology with distributed power generation capability using off-board natural gas. The total cost to develop and evaluate the tri-fuel hybrid electric vehicle is $755,000. The AQMD’s contribution shall not exceed $180,000, with contributions of $225,000 from Volkswagen, $80,000 from AC Propulsion and is contingent on ARB funding of $270,000.
   
   
6. Execute Contract to Provide Both Technical and Public Support for the Implementation of Low Emission, Clean Fuel, Heavy-Duty Vehicles within the South Coast Air Basin - On May 19, 2000 the Board approved the release of RFP 9900-20 to solicit cost-shared proposals to provide both technical and pubic outreach support for the implementation of low emission, clean fuel, heavy-duty vehicles. Three proposals were received, none adequately addressed the work statement as described in the RFP. The RFP was reissued in October 2000, a mandatory bidder’s conference was held and three qualified bid proposals were received. All submittals have been reviewed and staff recommends executing a contract with Gladstein & Associates. Total cost to the AQMD’s Clean Fuels Program will not exceed $250,000.
   
   
7. Execute Contract to Renew AQMD’s Participation for Three Years in National Fuel Cell Research Center at University of California, Irvine - On February 13, 1998, the Board approved AQMD participation in the National Fuel Cell Research Center (NCFRC) for three years at a annual fee of $40,000 per year, for a total of $120,000. Along with AQMD, other founding members included the US Department of Energy, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas, and other industry partners. Staff is recommending that AQMD renew its participation for another three years at a lower fee of $30,000, for a total of $90,000. As a member, AQMD will be involved in the NFCRC’s activities, have access to all non-proprietary data and reports, and receive assistance from NFCRC staff in technical evaluations of fuel cells and other advanced low-emissions power generation technologies.
   
   
8. Other Business - There was no other business.
   
   
9. Public Comment Period - There was no public comment.

The meeting was adjourned.

Attachment A - Attendance

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Attachment A - Attendance

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