7/17/14 Webinar on Including AFVs in State Emergency Planning for Resiliency

Don't miss this educational opportunity to learn about an important area for
alternative fuels-emergency planning for communities hit with disasters.

We have talked about the devastation from Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast and
how alternative fuel vehicles carried out critical functions such as debris
removal and assistance to stranded citizens at a time when conventionally
fueled vehicles succumbed to gasoline and diesel shortages. If we can help
states and localities to strategically plan with AFVs we can promote the
benefits of locally diversifying fueling options.

This webinar will focus on state energy assurance planning which supports a
robust, secure, and reliable energy infrastructure that is also
resilient-able to restore services rapidly in the event of a disaster. The
continued growth of the alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) market and increasing
coordination between state energy offices and local Clean Cities
stakeholders offer an opportunity to enhance, augment, and update the
planning process, with the goal of promoting resiliency via increased
deployment of AFVs in times of emergency.

Please join the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) for a
webinar on July 17 at 4pm Eastern Time to explore the benefits and
opportunities of integrating AFVs in energy assurance planning. Panelists
Linda Bluestein, National Clean Cities Director for the U.S. Department of
Energy, and Jeff Pillon, Energy Security Director for NASEO, will help
participants examine strategies to promote information sharing and
stakeholder coordination among state energy offices and Clean Cities
coordinators. An interactive Q&A following their presentations will focus on
how collaboration can support the effective deployment of AFVs to meet
critical public needs during energy supply disruptions.

To register for this webinar, please visit
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/767577054.

NASEO has developed a fact sheet and briefing document containing 
background information about the link between energy assurance planning 
and alternative fuel vehicle deployment, available at 
http://naseo.org/committee-transportation under the "Resources" tab.

Nearly $3.8 billion in Funding and Technical Assistance Available for State, Local, and Tribal Governments

Nearly $3.8 billion of funding and technical assistance is available for state, local, and tribal governments from the Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of the Interior (DOI), and the Department of Commerce (DOC) that can be used to support climate and energy initiatives, including economic development, sustainable communities, green infrastructure, and water efficiency. For full eligibility and application details, please visit the links provided below.

In addition, please visit the calendar of 2014 EPA grant opportunities that may be of particular interest to communities.

Special Announcement: DOE Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement for State Energy Program 2014 Competitive Awards

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has released a notification of intent to issue a funding opportunity announcement for the State Energy Program 2014 Competitive Awards. DOE seeks to fund projects in two areas of interest: 1) State Energy Planning, and 2) Opportunities for Innovative Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Practices. EERE plans to issue the funding opportunity announcement on or about April 21, 2014, via FedConnect and Grants.gov. Please note that only states are eligible to apply for these awards.
                     
INVEST Implementation Projects – Round 2 ~ $150,000 (with a 100 percent Non-federal match)

• Letter of Interest Due: March 28, 2014
• Eligible Entities: State DOTs, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and federal lands. 

The Department of Transportation is making available funds to support INVEST (Infrastructure Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool)—a practical, web-based, collection of voluntary best practices and criteria designed to help transportation agencies integrate sustainable practices into their projects. Funding will support eligible entities using INVEST to review operations and maintenance programs at the district or statewide level. Additionally, funding will help assess and improve the sustainability of specific transportation projects under development, or learn from projects already completed. The intent of this research funding opportunity is to develop case studies and analysis showing sustainability improvements from INVEST.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
    
Resilience Projects in Response to Hurricane Sandy– $3 billion

• Application Due: March 28, 2014
• Eligible Entities: Eligible applicants must be located in or provide public transportation service in one of the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, which are defined as areas for which President Obama declared a major disaster under the Stafford Act in response to Hurricane Sandy. Eligible entities include state and local governments, federally recognized tribes, authorities and public transportation agencies that receive funding through FTA formula programs, other entities responsible for an eligible public transportation capital project that enter into a sub-recipient arrangement with an existing FTA grantee, and entities that provide intercity passenger rail service.

The Federal Transit Administration is soliciting proposals for resilience projects, defined as those projects designed and built to address current and future vulnerabilities to a public transportation facility or system due to future occurrence or recurrence of emergencies or major disasters that are likely to occur in the geographic area in which the public transportation system is located. This resilience funding is intended to protect public transportation infrastructure that has been repaired or rebuilt after Hurricane Sandy or that is at risk of being damaged or destroyed by a future natural disaster.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Vehicle Technologies Program – $51.4 million

• Application Due: April 1, 2014
• Eligible Entities: State and local governments, federally recognized tribes, public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the United States and U.S. territories or possessions.

The Vehicle Technologies Office from the Department of Energy supports a broad research, development, and deployment technology portfolio focused on reducing the cost and improving the performance of a mix of near- and long-term vehicle technologies including advanced batteries, power electronics and electric motors, lightweight and propulsion materials, advanced combustion engines, advanced fuels and lubricants, and other enabling technologies. Specifically, activities are aimed at improving vehicle technologies such as powertrains, fuel, tires, and auxiliary systems. This Funding Opportunity Announcement contains a total of 14 areas of interest in the general areas of advanced light-weighting; advanced battery development; power electronics; advanced heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems; and fuels and lubricants.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
         
Coastal Resilience Networks Grant– $300,000

• Application Due: April 11, 2014
• Eligible Entities: Nonprofits, federally recognized tribes, state and local governments, small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.

The Department of Commerce is soliciting grant proposals from eligible organizations to implement activities that enhance resilience of coastal communities to natural hazard and climate risks through a local, regional, or national network. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement shall provide beneficial public outcomes for coastal communities related to addressing existing and future risks to the natural environment, infrastructure, local economies, and vulnerable populations. Proposals must also leverage, enhance, or create a human or technical network in which one or more coastal hazard issues can be addressed through partnerships to enhance communication, cooperation, coordination, and/or collaboration.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) Grant– $700,000

• Application Due: April 15, 2014
• Eligible Entities: State governments, federally recognized tribes, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, any agency or instrumentality of a state, and state colleges and universities.

The Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) grant program funds regional centers that serve both regional and national pollution prevention information needs. Grantees determine audience needs and then supply quality information and training on source reduction and related pollution prevention practices. Grantees provide assistance and training to businesses whose lack of information may be an impediment to implementing source reduction, preventing pollution or adopting sustainable practices.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

National Infrastructure Investment “TIGER” Program – $600 million

• Application Due: April 28, 2014
• Eligible Entities: State and local governments, federally recognized tribes, U.S. territories, transit agencies, port authorities, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), other political subdivisions of state or local governments, and multi-state or multi-jurisdictional groups applying through a single lead applicant.

The Department of Transportation is making available $600 million under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 to national infrastructure investments. This appropriation is similar to the program funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 known as the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or “TIGER Discretionary Grants,” program. Eligible projects include highway or bridge projects eligible under title 23, United States Code (including bicycle and pedestrian related projects); public transportation projects eligible under chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code; passenger and freight rail transportation projects; port infrastructure investments; and intermodal projects. FY 2014 TIGER also allows for up to $35 million (of the $600 million) to be awarded as grants for the planning of eligible transportation facilities. Eligible planning project include activities related to the planning, preparation, or design of a single surface transportation project, or activities related to regional transportation investment planning, including transportation planning that is coordinated with interdisciplinary factors including housing, economic development, stormwater and other infrastructure investments, and/or that addresses future risks and vulnerabilities, including extreme weather and climate change. Note: Applications open on April 3, 2014.
For more information, visit the Federal Register Funding Notice.

Tribal Climate Change Grant – $600,000

• Application Due: April 30, 2014
• Eligible Entities: Tribal governments

The Department of Interior is making available grants to support tribes that are addressing challenges of climate change in tribal communities. The grants will support planning for, and adapting to, future climate impacts on the entire range of tribal government functions and traditional use.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Commercial Building Technology Demonstrations Grant – $10 million

• Application Due: May 19, 2014
• Eligible Entities: For-profit entities, educational institutions, nonprofits, state and local governments, federally recognized tribes.

The Department of Energy is making available grants to enhance and accelerate the deployment and adoption of a broad range of competitively solicited high-impact energy saving technologies as well as new technology integration approaches. Technologies selected under this funding opportunity will be ready for market adoption but may be underutilized due to market barriers, including perception of risk, gaps in information, and data on performance as well as cost.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

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State and local officials interested in additional information about developing and implementing cost-effective climate and energy strategies that help further environmental goals and achieve public health and economic benefits may visit EPA’s State and Local Climate and Energy Program site. 

December 2013 Question of the Month

Question of the Month: What is the current status of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and how do the new 2014 proposed requirements differ from previous years’?

Answer: The national RFS program was developed to increase the volume of renewable fuel blended into transportation fuels. As required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized RFS1 program regulations, which became effective on Sept. 1, 2007. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 increased and expanded this standard through RFS2, mandating that by 2022, 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel be blended into transportation fuels. Though EISA set final volume requirements, EPA must determine renewable fuel percentage values annually to meet the requirements. Fuels are broken down as follows:

Total renewable fuel: The total amount of renewable fuel required to be blended into the fuel supply each year, which includes conventional and advanced biofuels (defined below). Conventional biofuel volume requirements are simply the total renewable fuel volume requirements minus the advanced biofuel volume requirements. While EISA specified volume requirements for most categories through 2022, the statute allows EPA to reduce these volumes under certain conditions (see below for further discussion).  Each renewable fuel category is described below.

• Conventional biofuel: Any fuel derived from approved sources of renewable biomass that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 20% from baseline petroleum GHG emissions. Conventional biofuels are generally produced from starch-based feedstocks (e.g., corn, sorghum, wheat).
• Advanced biofuel: Any fuel derived from approved renewable biomass, excluding corn starch-based ethanol. Biomass-based diesel and cellulosic biofuel volume requirements fall under this overarching advanced biofuel category. Note that remaining advanced biofuel volume requirements not met by cellulosic and biomass-based diesel can be met with other advanced biofuels, and cellulosic biofuel and biomass-based diesel volumes that exceed their volume requirements also may be used to meet the advanced biofuel quota. Other advanced biofuels may include sugarcane-based fuels, renewable diesel co-processed with petroleum, and other biofuels that may exist in the future. Advanced biofuels must reduce GHG emissions by at least 50% from baseline petroleum GHG emissions.
• Cellulosic biofuel: Any fuel derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, or lignin. These fuels must reduce GHG emissions by at least 60% from baseline petroleum GHG emissions.
• Biomass-based diesel: A diesel fuel substitute made from renewable feedstocks, including biodiesel and nonester renewable diesel (diesel produced from animal- and plant-based fats, oils, and greases). It cannot be co-processed with petroleum; however, those fuels fall under the general advanced biofuels category. Biomass-based diesel must reduce GHG emissions by at least 50% from baseline petroleum GHG emissions.

For a list of fuel pathways that qualify under each renewable fuel category, see Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 80.1100-80.1167.

Obligated Parties
Any party that produces gasoline or petroleum diesel for use as transportation fuel in the United States, including refiners, importers, and blenders (other than oxygenate blenders), is considered an obligated party under the RFS program. Each year, EPA determines the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) for obligated parties. The RVO is calculated as a percentage, by dividing the amount of renewable fuel (gallons) required by the RFS2 for a given year by the amount of transportation fuel expected to be used during that year.

Volume Requirements and Percentage Standards
While EISA specified most volume requirements through 2022, the law did not address the biomass-based diesel requirement beyond 2012 and left some flexibility on the cellulosic biofuel requirement. The statute also allows EPA to change requirements under certain conditions, including when (1) the projected production of cellulosic biofuel in any year is less than the volume specified in EISA or (2) conditions are met under the general waiver authority provided by the Clean Air Act.

In 2013, EPA requires obligated parties to meet the following volume requirements collectively. Also included are the associated RVO percentages.

Final Volume Requirements for 2013
Category	Volume	Percentage
Cellulosic biofuel	14 million gallons	0.008%
Biomass-based diesel	1.28 million gallons	1.12%
Advanced biofuel	2.75 billion gallons	1.60%
Total renewable fuel	16.55 billion gallons	9.63%

On Nov. 15, 2013, EPA published a proposed rule to establish new volume requirements and associated percentage standards for 2014. For the first time, EPA is requesting comments on a range of volumes for each renewable fuel category to determine a final requirement (see table below). Also for the first time, the proposed total renewable fuel volume requirement is lower than statutory levels mandated in EISA to resolve compliance concerns related to the ethanol consumption "blend wall" (discussed below) and renewable fuel production constraints. The table below outlines the proposed new volume requirements and the associated RVO percentages.

Proposed Volume Requirements for 2014
Category	Volume	Percentage	Range
Cellulosic biofuel	17 million gallons	0.010%	8-30 million gallons
Biomass-based diesel	1.28 billion gallons	1.16%	1.28 billion gallons
Advanced biofuel	2.20 billion gallons	1.33%	2-2.51 billion gallons
Total renewable fuel	15.21 billion gallons	9.20%	15-15.52 billions gallons

Ethanol Blend Wall The ethanol “blend wall” refers to the difficulty of incorporating an increasing amount of ethanol into the transportation fuel supply at percentages exceeding 10%. Almost all gasoline sold in the United States is E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline). While blends as high as E15 (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline) can be used in some conventional vehicles, these blends are difficult to market on a widespread basis because they can be used only in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) and model year 2001 and newer vehicles due to equipment compatibility issues. Additionally, “E85” (51%–83% ethanol blended with gasoline) and other mid-level ethanol blends can be used only in FFVs. EPA has proposed the lower advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel volume requirements above for 2014 due to the anticipated inability of the market to supply the Congressionally mandated volume of renewable fuels to consumers in 2014.

In conjunction with the 2014 volume requirements and percentage standards, EPA is also considering a joint petition from the American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, as well as individual petitions from several refining companies, requesting a partial waiver of the 2014 applicable volumes under RFS2. EPA is collecting comments on both issues through Jan. 28, 2014.

 Here is the proposed rule and EPA fact sheet.

Additional information can be found on the EPA RFS2 and Alternative Fuels Data Center RFS Program websites.

Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735