BOARD MEETING DATE: July 8, 2005
AGENDA NO. 20

Report on Clean Cities Programs Within AQMD Boundaries

SYNOPSIS:

At the July 11, 2003 Board meeting, staff was directed to report back twice a year on the activities of Clean Cities Coalitions in the South Coast District. This letter summarizes the current and recent activities of the local Clean Cities Coalitions. Also discussed is the interaction between the AQMD and the local Clean Cities Coalitions and potential future cooperative efforts.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, June 24, 2005, Reviewed

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

The Clean Cities program was created in 1992, and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Clean Cities Program supports public-private partnerships that deploy alternative fuel vehicles and build supporting alternative fuel infrastructure. The mission of the Clean Cities Program is to enhance energy security and air quality by supporting public and private partnerships that deploy clean-burning alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and build their associated fueling infrastructure. The Clean Cities Program main goals are:

• One million AFVs operating by 2010.
• One billion gasoline gallon equivalents per year used in AFVs by 2010.
• Seventy-five percent of Clean Cities coalitions self-sustaining by 2005.

Unlike traditional command-and-control programs, Clean Cities takes a voluntary approach to AFV development, working with coalitions of local stakeholders to help develop the AFV industry. The program focuses on local initiatives to build alternative fuels markets, providing participants with options to address problems unique to their cities and fostering partnerships to help overcome them.

AQMD Participation

There are five Clean Cities Coalitions in the local area; AQMD is a member of all of them. AQMD was a Gold Sponsor with $25,000 in contributions at the 11^th annual Clean Cities Conference held in Palm Springs in May 2005. The Clean Cities Conference chose to return to Palm Springs this year given that the Conference had the highest registration ever in 2003. The conference this year was highly successful and served to strengthen the ties between the local coalitions and the AQMD. It is estimated that the number of conference registrants exceeded the number in 2003. In addition, the Clean Cities Conference exhibit area was organized in a manner that allowed attendees to view the various alternative fuel technologies in individually designated locations (i.e., a natural gas vehicle zone was designed for the natural gas vehicle industry to exhibit their products). Lastly, AQMD participated in the WRCOG Car Care for Clean Air events sponsored in part by the Clean Cities Program.

Coalition Activities

The local coalitions have provided the following information on their current activities and are presented in order of coalition establishment date.

Long Beach Clean Cities Coalition – The following summarizes the activities of the City of Long Beach since July 2004:

Summer 2004: Received funding approval of AB 2766 Subvention Funds for reducing mobile source emissions. The funds paid for the differential cost of four Toyota Prius gas/electric hybrid vehicles for replacement of four other vehicles. All the vehicles were delivered by May 2005.

Fall 2004: Low sulfur diesel fuel with maximum sulfur content of 15 ppm is being used in city vehicles with no reported maintenance problems. The City of Long Beach Public Works Department - Fleet Services Bureau, has put eleven LNG refuse haulers into service with cost differential funding from the Carl Moyer Program.

Winter 2005: Ten particulate trap filters and one particulate trap filter cleaner were installed under AQMD grant #G031581.

Spring 2005: Fourteen particulate trap filters were installed on refuse trucks. The Coalition also applied for $100,000 in AB 2766 Subvention Funds to pay for the differential cost of ten additional gas/electric hybrid vehicles to replace other vehicles. The Long Beach Clean Cities Coordinator and assistant attended the 11th Annual Clean Cities conference in Palm Springs, California. Planning has begun for demonstration of a particulate trap filter core cleaner for coalition members and other interested parties. The unit is called a CombiClean, by Engine Control Systems, a division of Lubrizol.

Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Clean Cities Coalition - The SCAG Coalition was an active participant in the May 2005 National Clean Cities conference planning and execution in Palm Springs. SCAG’s Los Angeles Region Clean Cities Coalition has more alternate fuel vehicles than any other area in the country and continues to aggressively pursue innovative vehicle and station development for AFVs. This coalition has listed the following goals:

• Increase AFVs by 17% in an 18 month period.
• Organize and host at least one targeted niche market event in conjunction with an auto or truck manufacturer with the intent to sell AFVs.
• Confirm the existence, operation, and the average amount and price of fuel sold annually, of all AFV refueling sites in the coalition area as shown in the Alternative Fuel Data Center (AFDC) station locator, and keep the AFDC informed of station openings and closings.
• Develop a plan for coalition’s financial sustainability describing the activities during the grant period.
• Organize and host at least four stakeholder meetings per year.
• Meet with at least two local state policy staff members on the benefits of alternative fuels.
• Attend the National Clean Cities Conference and the Washington Day Annual Meeting.
• Develop strategies to enhance the AFV Public Awareness Program.
• Conduct annual survey of AFV implementation stakeholders in the Greater Los Angeles region

Los Angeles City Clean Cities Coalition - The City of Los Angeles Clean Cities Coalition recently completed its annual alternative fuel vehicle inventory and identified 2,071 alternative fuel and hybrid electric vehicles (AFV/HEV) in the City’s fleets. The City added a total of 447 AFVs to its fleets in 2004. In addition, the City has on order or has recently received about 250 gasoline-electric hybrid sedans. In April 2005, the City received 15 new compressed natural gas (CNG) street sweepers that will be placed into operation in May and June. These sweepers were partially funded by a grant from the MSRC.

In March 2005, the Coalition prepared and submitted a State Emissions Plan (SEP) Grant application to the U.S. DOE via the California Energy Commission requesting funding for the incremental cost of 20 additional CNG street sweepers.

The Los Angeles Clean Cities Coordinator attended the national Clean Cities Conference in Palm Springs in early May, and the City was represented on a Hydrogen panel by the General Manager of the Environmental Affairs Department.

Upcoming efforts of the Coalition include:

• Implementation of a training program to educate City employees about the proper operation and maintenance of alternative fuel and hybrid electric vehicles;
• Holding a meeting for the City’s fleet manager working group Interagency Alternative Fuels Taskforce (IAFT) to discuss the 2005-06 Carl Moyer grant program and other funding opportunities; and
• Continuing to monitor new alternative fuel technology developments and coordinate policy and regulatory issues with the stakeholders.

Coachella Valley Clean Cities Coalition - Most recently the coalition was the hosting coalition for the 2005 Clean Cities National Conference. For the first time, the conference was privatized (i.e., completely supported by industry) and not "hosted" by the DOE. The conference was a huge success, with an estimated 1,100 attendees. The current coordinator, Bert Kronmiller will be retiring as of July 1, 2005, and a group of key stakeholders will convene to secure a replacement coordinator.

Northwest Riverside County Clean Cities Coalition - In January, Western Riverside County Clean Cities Coalition (WRCCCC) became a partner in the West Coast Collaborative, a public-private partnership working to reduce air pollution emissions from diesel sources along the West Coast. The Collaborative is part of an overall national campaign to reduce diesel emissions.

April was Car Care Month and WRCCCC celebrated it by holding Car Care for Clean Air events, in the Cities of Riverside, Perris, Hemet and Moreno Valley. The events were developed to increase public awareness regarding the benefits of proper vehicle maintenance and repair, and how their efforts would help reduce emissions.

In May, WRCCCC staff attended the 11th Annual Clean Cities Conference and hosted an exhibit booth, which was staffed by a number of volunteers from the coalition. WRCCCC continues to monitor and support legislation that impacts air quality.

Additional Support and Resources

Information on the Clean Cities Program is accessible through the DOE's Clean Cities Hotline (1-800-CCITIES), and the Fuels Hotline (800-423-1DOE). The Clean Cities Home page can be accessed at www.ccities.doe.gov.

AQMD Future Participation

AQMD staff will continue to participate in the Clean Cities Program. Currently we are working on utilizing the Clean Cities Coalitions for the Carl Moyer Program outreach. In the next few months we will be participating in their annual meetings and other special events such as the "Advancing the Choice for Alternative Fuel Vehicles" event in July.

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