BOARD MEETING DATE: June 3, 2005
AGENDA NO. 33

REPORT:

Technology Committee

SYNOPSIS:

The Technology Committee met on May 27, 2005. Major topics included Technology Advancement items reflected in the regular Board Agenda for the June Board meeting. A summary of these topics with the Committee's comments is provided. The next Technology Committee meeting will be on June 24, 2005 at 12:00 p.m. in CC-8.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Cynthia Verdugo-Peralta, Vice Chair
Technology Committee

Attendance: Committee Member Miguel Pulido participated by video-teleconference. Committee members Cynthia Verdugo-Peralta and Dennis Yates were in attendance at District headquarters.

JUNE BOARD AGENDA ITEMS

1. Execute Contracts to Demonstrate the Applicability of Cleaire Advanced Emissions Controls’ Longview Systems on Solid Waste Collection Vehicles - In 2004, Cleaire Advanced Emissions Controls received a verification approval from CARB for its Longview System diesel retrofit system which reduces NOx and PM emissions from a wide variety of pre-2003 on-road heavy-duty diesel engines. The Longview System is CARB-verified to reduce PM emissions by at least 85 percent and NOx emissions by 25 percent. Cleaire is in the process of obtaining a verification of the Longview System for current diesel engines. This action is to execute contracts for emissions testing and data analysis of up to four Longview Systems on a variety of 2004 or 2005 model year diesel-fueled engines used in solid waste collection vehicles operating in the South Coast AQMD in an amount not to exceed $285,000. Funding will come from the Clean Fuels Fund.
   Moved (Yates) seconded (Pulido) and unanimously recommended for approval.
    
2. Recognize and Appropriate Funds from U.S. EPA and CARB, and Execute Contract for Truck Stop Electrification - The U.S. EPA has awarded the AQMD $100,000 in National Transportation Idle Free Corridors funds for truck stop electrification projects. In March 2005, the Board approved $300,000 for truck stop electrification projects with Idleaire Technologies Corporation under the Carl Moyer program. In addition, CARB has also allocated $691,000 from its State Emissions Mitigation Program fund for truck stop electrification projects with Idleaire. This action is to execute a contract with Idleaire to implement truck stop electrification projects in an amount not to exceed $1,091,000, comprised of $100,000 grant from the U.S. EPA, $691,000 from CARB’s State Emissions Mitigation Program, and $300,000 from the Carl Moyer Program fund already approved by the Board on March 4, 2005.
   Moved (Yates), seconded (Pulido), and unanimously recommended for approval.
    
3. Execute Contract to Cosponsor Demonstration of Particulate Filter and Gas-to-Liquid Diesel Fuel in Transportation Refrigeration Unit Engines - Transportation refrigeration units (TRUs) powered by diesel engines are used to preserve perishable products during transport. CARB estimates particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions from statewide TRUs to be 2 and 20 tons per day (tpd). This action is to award a contract to the U.S. DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate, quantify, and compare emissions from TRUs powered by engines equipped with and without particulate filters and fueled with gas-to-liquid fuel and CARB specification conventional diesel fuels at a cost not to exceed $260,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund. Cost share is being provided by U.S. DOE NREL and its partners for a total project cost of $512,580.
   Moved (Pulido), seconded (Yates) and unanimously recommended for approval.
    
4. Award Contracts for Natural Gas Refueling Station Infrastructure and Reissue RFP - On January 7, 2005, the Board approved the release of an RFP to solicit proposals for natural gas refueling station infrastructure projects in the amount of $245,428. Seven proposals were received by the closing date. Staff believes that all seven proposals deserve funding; however there are only enough funds to fully fund two of the seven highest scoring proposals in the amount of $224,861. Staff recommends funding these two proposals. Staff also requests the Board a) re-allocate $500,000 from a previous Board approved set-aside in the Clean Fuels Fund, b) use the remaining funds of $20,567 from the current solicitation, and c) allocate an additional $500,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund to reissue the RFP to solicit additional natural gas fueling infrastructure projects with a budget of $1,020,567.
   Both Committee Member Pulido and Verdugo-Peralta recommended streamlining/standardizing the fueling experience.
   Moved (Yates), seconded (Pulido) and unanimously recommended for approval.
    
5. Execute Contract to Cosponsor Development and Certification of a Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Engine Meeting 2010 Emission Standards - Heavy-duty vehicles are significant contributors to the Basin’s on-road vehicle emissions inventory, contributing over one-third of the NOx and two-thirds of the particulate emissions. For the 2010 Federal NOx standard of 0.2 g/bhp-hr, stoichiometric natural gas fueled engines with three way catalysts and exhaust gas recirculation have shown promise in the test cell but require real-world demonstrations and testing to verify their performance. This action is to award a sole-source contract award to John Deere Power Systems, Inc. to develop and certify a heavy-duty natural gas engine that meets the 2010 standard by 2007 at a cost not to exceed $695,400 from the Clean Fuels Fund. Cost sharing is being provided by John Deere Power Systems, Inc. and others for the remainder of the $6,582,900 total project costs.
   Moved (Yates), seconded (Pulido) and unanimously recommended for approval.
    
6. Execute Contract to Continue Monitoring of Microturbine Sites - In 2001, the Board authorized funding from the Clean Fuels Fund for the University of California at Irvine (UCI) to monitor power production at selected microturbine sites. That project ended in 2004. This action will extend the monitoring period for another two years. Results will continue to be available to AQMD and other interested parties on a web site. This information will help advance this cleaner distributed generation technology, and provide other technical data relative to the performance and reliability of microturbine generators (MTGs). Staff recommends funding for this project in an amount not to exceed $100,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund.
   Committee Member Pulido recommended the District establish how much the user is benefiting from this project.
   Moved (Pulido), seconded (Yates) and unanimously recommended for approval.
    
7. Transfer Funds from Clean Fuels Fund to FY 2005-06 General Fund Budget of Science & Technology Advancement - Since FY 1999-00, revenues from the state-mandated Clean Fuels Program have been directed to the Clean Fuels Fund. Periodically, funds are transferred from the Clean Fuels Fund to the General Fund to support AQMD activities directly related to the Clean Fuels Program. This action is to transfer $500,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund to the FY 2005-06 Budget upon Board approval of the FY 2005-06 Budget to supplement the FY 2005-06 General Fund Budget of Science & Technology Advancement, Services and Supplies Major Object, Professional and Special Services Account to support Clean Fuels Program activities.
   Moved (Yates), seconded (Pulido) and unanimously recommended for approval.
    
8. California Fuel Cell Partnership Steering Team Meeting - This report summarizes the California Fuel Cell Partnership Steering Team meeting held April 26-27, 2005.
   File and receive this report

OTHER BUSINESS - There was no other business.

Public Comment Period - There was no public comment.

The meeting was adjourned.

Attachment A - Attendance

/ / /