Capital District                                                                                               June 24, 2003

Clean Communities

 

 

Capital District Clean Communities

June 5, 2003 Meeting

Meeting Notes

 

 

Attendance

 

Patrick Bolton, NYSERDA

Patricia Boudreau, NIMO

Rayna Caldwell, Interested Citizen

Stephen Costa, USDOE

Lawrence D’Arco, NYSDEC

Steve Iachetta, Albany County Airport Authority

Sr. Jean Keating, Sr. of St. Joseph’s

Tameka Macon, CDTC

Valerie Pabst, Upstate Transit, Inc.

Jason Purvis, CDTC Staff

Carol Rodino, NY Power Authority

Tom Spadaro, NYSDOT

Deborah Stacey, CDTC Staff, CDCC Coordinator

Robert Steff, NY Thruway Authority

Ted Thompson, NYSDOT Region 1

 

 

Summary Notes

 

Deborah Stacey opened the meeting with introductions.  Ms. Stacey initiated discussion on each agenda item:

 

 

1.     NYSERDA Clean Cities Challenge Round V Grant Application: The Albany County Airport Authority  (ACAA) submitted two grant applications to NYSERDA; both were approved.  The first grant of $28,960 will pay for 75% of the incremental cost of two additional CNG Ford Shuttle vehicles.  These vehicles will be used to shuttle airport patrons from the long-term parking lots to the terminal building.  The grant of $12,500 pay for 75% of the incremental cost 60,000 gallons of B20 bio-diesel.  The B20 will be used in 50 percent of the ACAA’s ground support vehicles (approximately 25 vehicles).  The ACAA will collect data regarding engine performance from the vehicles that are run on bio-diesel.  Ultimately, the ACAA would like to use B20 in their entire ground fleet, if no major barriers are detected.

 

SLA Transport, a trucking firm that is located in Amsterdam, NY (and that operates trucks throughout the Capital District) also received a grant of $148,500 to cover 75% of the incremental cost of 900,000 gallons of bio-diesel.  SLA Transport will operate 27 (of 43) vehicles on bio-diesel.  SLA will also collect vehicle performance data.  SLA would like to run their entire fleet on bio-diesel and will do so if the data they collect during the test period show that there are few or no drawbacks to running bio-diesel.

 

NYSERDA released a PON on their Clean Air School Bus program.  Seventy school districts applied for monies under this program to retrofit over 3000 buses.  A large number of school districts from the Capital District have submitted applications.  The majority of school buses will be retrofitted with an oxidation catalyst.  This technology will require the introduction of ultra low sulfur diesel in the area.  Statewide, the program will call an annual supply of 6.5 million gallons of ultra low sulfur diesel.

 

2.     USDOE: The State Energy Plan Special Projects solicitation was released in mid-February. NYSERDA submitted two proposals on behalf of two CDCC coalition members. The Albany County Airport Authority submitted paperwork for funding for two additional CNG shuttle vehicles.  If this grant is approved, ¾ of the Authority’s parking shuttle fleet will be CNG.  Schwans submitted an application to convert 80 trucks from gasoline to propane.  If approved, this $200,000 grant will cover the cost of conversion and will displace 153,000 gallons of petroleum per year.

 

USDOE personnel attended the national Clean Cities conference in Palm Springs, California.  Over 1000 people attended the conference.  Hydrogen (fuel cell) vehicles was a major theme at the conference. The consensus is that the hydrogen technology is coming, but not in the immediate future.  The Clean Cities coalitions can be instrumental in the preparation and phase-in of this technology, particularly in conducting education and outreach

 

3.     NYS Thruway Authority: The ethanol station in Buffalo is still operating.  Approximately 2000 gallons are pumped per month.  Currently only Thruway vehicles are fueling at this station, but it will be opened to all state fleets shortly. 

 

4.     NYSDOT: The New York State Department of Transportation has a RFP out for the commercialization of six of their CNG stations; one of these six is the station in downtown Albany (McCarty Avenue).

 

5.     Other Business:

 

a.     NYSDOT Region 1 reported on the Truck Stop Idling Project that is planned for the Northway or I-90.  NYSDOT is working with NYSERDA on this project.  The project is delayed because consensus cannot be reached regarding location. An additional NYS Thruway Truck Stop Electrification Project was installed in the Chittenango Rest Area.  Data show that truckers stay for an average of 31/2 hours at these rest areas, which means that the electrification project cuts down greatly on the idling and attendant emissions.

 

b.      The Capital District is beginning to use Neighborhood Electric Cars (NEVs) in areas where this technology is conducive.  For example, NYSDEC has ordered 100 Global Electric Motorcars (GEM—Daimler Chrysler) for use at state campsites.  The NYS Department of Parks and Recreation has ordered 125 GEMs for use at state parks.  An additional 100 vehicles have been ordered for use at campuses. Most NEVs qualify as low speed vehicles (under 30mph) as defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards applicable to low speed vehicles. NEVs are designed to be used in residential areas with low density traffic, and low speed zones.

 

c.      Deb distributed copies of newsletters and information from the organization Fuel Cells 2000 (www.fuelcells.org), .a copy of the newspaper article covering the Vehicle Tech Tour that was at HVCC in May and a copy of an article about diesel engine technology that appeared in the May 2003 issue of Metro Magazine.

 

 

Next Meeting

 

This group will meet again on Thursday September 11, 2003 from 10:00 am to noon at CDTC's offices (5 Computer Drive West, Albany, NY 12205).