BOARD MEETING DATE: September 8, 2006
AGENDA NO. 7

Execute Contract to Cosponsor Outreach Project for Innovative Schools Advancing Air Quality

SYNOPSIS:

Innovative Schools Advancing Air Quality (ISAAQ) is an organization of high school teachers in Southern California who educate students on the importance of clean alternative energy for the future of transportation.  The ISAAQ is requesting funding to re-initiate the ZEV Challenge competition and expand the program to three years to provide high school students the opportunity to design, build and compete with electric and solar vehicles.  This action is to support the ISAAQ program at a cost not to exceed $63,000 from Clean Fuels Funds.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, July 28, 2006, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Authorize the Executive Officer to execute a contract with Think Earth to co-fund the ISAAQ ZEV Challenge program, in an amount not to exceed $63,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Innovative Schools Advancing Air Quality (ISAAQ) is an organization of high school teachers in Southern California who are dedicated to educating young people to the importance of alternative energy in the future of transportation.  ISAAQ is part of the Think Earth Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, public-private partnership whose mission isto help develop and maintain a sustainable environment through education.  The Foundation develops and distributes environmental education programs and provides them free to teachers in Southern California.

For several years, ISAAQ and the AQMD co-sponsored the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Challenge, a one-day event held at the Irwindale Speedway.  The ZEV Challenge provided students with the opportunity to demonstrate their projects in a competitive environment.  The ZEV Challenge was held for five years from 1998 – 2002.  At the height of involvement, ISAAQ had twelve local schools participating in the program.  Specifically, students in participating schools work on projects including single passenger electric vehicles, solar powered vehicles utilizing 1.6 square meters of solar power and solar-powered bicycles. 

Proposal

The ISAAQ is requesting funding support to re-initiate the ZEV Challenge and expand the program to a multi-year activity, with the intent of providing a sustained competition.  The ZEV Challenge program affords an excellent method of educating students about the role of alternative vehicles as a pollution control strategy by allowing them to design, build, and compete with electric and solar vehicles.  Monthly meetings will be held to allow students to see other schools’ projects and share learning experiences with their peers.  This three-year program will include an annual competition by high school students, with at least four high schools competing within the District’s four-county region; effort will be made to include at least one school from each county.  Seven schools have indicated interest so far, and outreach to engage up to 15 total schools is ongoing.

The annual competition will be held at the Irwindale Speedway or a mutually agreeable venue within the AQMD.  Competition rules will emphasize student learning in a safe and fun environment.  The annual competition provides an opportunity for demonstration of student education and outreach to the AQMD community, since the event will be advertised and open to the public.

ISAAQ proposes to administer the ZEV Challenge program for three years, solicit up to 15 local high schools to participate, conduct student workshops, secure an appropriate venue for the annual competition, and distribute seed funding to each high school for the initial vehicle.  The vehicle seed funding of $1,500 per school will occur in the first year of the program to allow major hardware purchases.  Subsequent year funding is reduced to $500 per school for refinements to the vehicles. Think Earth will provide insurance for the annual event and each participating high school will co-fund the vehicle cost through fund-raising and in-kind labor.  Staff recommends co-funding this program in an amount not to exceed $63,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund. 

Benefits to AQMD

Successful completion of this project will result in increased dissemination of information on zero emission vehicle technology, renewable energy sources, and the need for cleaner air.  This project includes mentoring and outreach to local high schools and the annual demonstration of their vehicles.

The proposed project is included in the March 2006 update of the Technology Advancement Plan in the category “Assessment and Technical Support of Advanced Technologies and Information Dissemination.”

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 provision B.2.d.: Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such waiver in the best interest of the AQMD.  Specifically, these circumstances are B.2.d.(1): Project involving cost sharing by multiple sponsors.

Cost sharing is being provided by the Think Earth Foundation in the form of event insurance and preparation of educational materials.  Each participating school will be expected to raise approximately half of the funds needed to build a qualifying vehicle, although some schools may raise additional funds in order to be highly competitive.  Each school will also be required to provide insurance for their own participants.    

Resource Impacts

If 15 high schools participate all three years, the total cost is anticipated to be $104,100.  The amount of AQMD funding shall not exceed $63,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund. In the event any of the schools drop out, another may be added, up to 15 high schools co-funded each year.  Only high schools located within AQMD jurisdiction qualify for vehicle funding, but other high schools may participate in the workshops and annual event, on a space available basis. 

The project partners and their anticipated amount of cost-share from Think Earth and the 15 anticipated high schools are reflected in the table below:

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 40448.5 and 40512 and Vehicle Code 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.