Capital District
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
Steve Iachetta,
Sr. Jean Keating, Sr. of
Tameka Macon, CDTC
Valerie Pabst, Upstate Transit, Inc.
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
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
3.
NYS Thruway
Authority: The ethanol station in
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
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.
This group will meet again on