South Coast Air Quality Management District
South Coast Air Quality Management District
BOARD MEETING DATE: May 11, 2001 AGENDA NO. 5
Execute Contract to Cosponsor Educational Outreach Program of Sunline Transit Agency
SYNOPSIS:
Sunline Transit is one of the first transit agencies in the country to convert all of its transit buses to run on clean fuels, primarily natural gas. Sunline is now going a step further; it is acquiring very low emitting buses and zero-emitting fuel cell buses that run on hydrogen. To refuel these buses, Sunline has installed a hydrogen refueling station with onsite hydrogen production - using natural gas reforming, and water electrolysis using solar energy. Sunline's efforts have drawn worldwide attention and public interest. Sunline plans to expand its formal public education and outreach efforts on clean fuel transportation. Staff recommends that AQMD cosponsor this project in an amount not to exceed $50,000.
COMMITTEE:
Technology, March 23, 2001, Recommended for Approval
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with Sunline Transit Agency, to cosponsor its educational outreach on clean fuels to the local community, in an amount not to exceed $50,000.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
The AQMP relies on the significant penetration of zero and near-zero emission technologies in the Basin to attain federal and state clean air standards by year 2010. The agency has adopted a series of fleet rules, including a rule that requires transit fleet agencies to acquire buses that run on alternative fuels or buses with equivalent low emissions. Zero-emission fuel cell buses are among the clean alternatives available to transit buses to comply with AQMD and ARB regulations.
In 1994, without any compelling regulations, Sunline became the first public transit agency in the country to voluntarily convert its transit buses to a 100 percent CNG fleet. It later converted its para-transit and its regional street sweeping fleets to operate on CNG. Within the region it serves, it is also a partner in six public access CNG stations and in a liquefied natural gas station.
Maintaining its pioneering leadership in the clean fuels arena, Sunline recently decided to go a step further; it has acquired near-zero emitting buses that run on a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen. It has also begun testing prototype hydrogen fuel cell buses whose air emissions are zero. Its ultimate objective is to convert to a zero-emission fleet. To refuel these buses, Sunline Transit has installed a complete hydrogen production and refueling facility, and a cost-effective hydrogen bus maintenance facility.
The pioneering effort of Sunline Transit has received worldwide attention. Scores of international delegations from various scientific and transit organizations, along with international media have visited the site. These have included CNN, BBC, and Japanese TV. A transit delegation from mainland China also visited this site. Subsequent to their visit, and impressed by what they saw, the delegation ordered 60 natural gas buses, followed by 2000 more CNG buses.
Recognizing that public education is critical for the successful introduction of clean fuels, Sunline plans to expand its outreach effort to various stakeholders within the Basin. In addition, Sunline is seeking funds to strengthen the customer service and labor resources needed to handle the enhancement in public outreach.
Proposal
Sunline Transit has proposed to expand the educational outreach of its alternative fuels program by the following activities:
Although the Sunline proposal is part of ongoing educational efforts, the requested funding is for a project term that ends in the last quarter of 2002.
Benefits to AQMD
The proposed project is included within the scope of the March 2001 update of the Technology Advancement Plan under the following category: 2001CFT-1 "Assessment and Technical Support of Advanced Technologies and Information Dissemination."
The major anticipated benefit of AQMD’s participation in Sunline’s educational outreach effort is that it will assist in promoting the use of clean fuels and clean technologies. This represents a showcase for the highly successful implementation of such clean fuels and technologies. During the public hearing for Rule 1192 (Clean On-Road Transit Buses), Sunline’s success was important to AQMD Board's consideration of the clean fuel requirements for transit buses.
Public outreach efforts will assist in overcoming commercialization barriers for alternative fuels and fuel cell technologies. The availability and widespread distribution of this information and technical data should help elected officials and other public transit agencies in the Basin move expeditiously towards clean fuel buses. This, in turn, will eventually help to accelerate the wide-scale deployment of clean fuel in mobile applications leading to substantial reductions of criteria and toxic air pollutants. Such reductions would assist the Basin in meeting federal and state air quality standards by year 2010. In addition, deployment of alternative gaseous fuels can lead to major multi-media environmental benefits such as improved water quality and reductions in the release of greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide.
Sole Source Justification
Section VIII, (B)(2) of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole-source award may be justified. This request for a sole source award is made under provisions. B.2.c.(1) the unique experience and capabilities of the proposed contractor or contracting team; B.2.c.(3) the contractor has ownership of key assets required for project performance, and B.2.d(1) Projects involving cost-sharing by multiple partners. This project is being justified under B.2 c(1), B.2 c(3) and B.2.d(1). The proposing team has exceptional qualifications, ownership of key technologies to perform the project and multiple partners to cost-share the project.
Sunline Transit agency has aggressively implemented alternative fueled vehicles in their commercial operations. These technologies are both near term and longer term. Sunline has extensive experience in designing, implementing and successfully operating natural gaseous refueling and natural gas fueled vehicles. It has recently completed the construction of a hydrogen production and hydrogen dispensing system. It is currently testing hydrogen buses. Its commitment to deploy cutting edge technologies in normal transit service has won worldwide attention. International transit and scientific delegations have visited the facility to study the Sunline experiment, in an effort to replicate and implement these technologies in their home countries. AQMD’s participation will enable Sunline to continue to provide such outreach to these visitors.
Resources Impacts
Cost-sharing is being provided by various participants. The total amount of AQMD funding for the proposed project will not exceed $50,000. Other co-funding partners include:
Sufficient funds are available from the Clean Fuels Fund, established as a special revenue fund resulting from the state-mandated Clean Fuels Program. The Clean Fuels Program, under Health and Safety Code Sections 40448.5 and 40512 and Vehicle Code Section 9250.11, establishes mechanisms to collect revenues from mobile sources to support projects to increase the utilization of clean fuels, including the development of the necessary advanced enabling technologies. Funds collected from motor vehicles are restricted, by statute, to be used for projects and program activities related to mobile sources that support the objectives of the Clean Fuels Program.
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