Southern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition

In The News

SC4 Preps Session for Sustainability Conference DOE Touts First Tri-Generation Fuel Cell Station Propane Gas Act of 2011 Needs Your Support Denver B-Cycles & Encana Combine Their Passions RFA Applauds Big 3 For Flex Fuel Goal DOE Launches Vehicle Cost Calculator Fuel Economy Tip Of The Month Calendar of Events Question of the Month

The Colorado Sustainability Conference is Nov. 17 & 18 at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs

Southern Colorado Clean Cities Challenges CO Sustainability Conference to ReThink Transportation

Catamount Institute will be hosting the Colorado Sustainability Conference, November 17 & 18 at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs. The event, which targets business owners, educators and decision-makers in the private, public and military sectors, is designed to raise awareness of sustainable best practices and to empower attendees to lead the way to positive change. This year the conference includes a ReThinking Transportation breakout session featuring representatives from Southern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition and its stakeholders. ReThinking Transportation will highlight local strategies to reduce petroleum in the transportation sector through Cycling and ridesharing. Guest speakers include Allen Beauchamp, Angletech Cycles, and Bob Featherstone, Colorado Springs Metro Rides. The conference will also feature an opening plenary with David Sandalow, Assistant Secretary for Policy & International Affairs, after a special invite from the Clean Cities Coalition. This years conference, themed Breaking Through the Barriers is challenging both presenters and attendees to raise the bar on sustainable practices within Colorado and beyond.
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2011 keynote speakers at the conference include Kevin Danager co-founder of the Global Exchange, Debra Eschmeyer co-founder of FoodCorps, and National Geographic writer Joel Bourne. Featured session presenters also include Mike Bowman of 25x25, Jennifer Gallegos, Director of Coffee Business Development for FairTrade USA and Ted Ning, executive director of LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability). Breakout session presenters include representatives of Fort Carson, NREL, the Governors Energy Office (GEO), Whole Foods, RNL Architects, EPA, Colorado Springs Utilities, the City of Fort Collins Sustainability department, the City of Colorado Springs, the USGBC Colorado and the American Sustainable Business Council. 8 Breakout sessions will cover various topics, including:

Zero waste best practices The Economics of Sustainable Business Sustainable Communities Sustainable and Local foods Water conservation Renewable energy and alternative fuels For more information or to register, visit www.catamountinstitute.org.

If you have questions about the Southern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition, or youd like to know more about becoming a partner, call Executive Director Alicia Archibald today at (719) 494-6592 or email Alicia@cleancitiescolorado.org

October 2011 719-494-6592 http://southern.cleancitiescolorado.org

DOE Touts First Tri-Generation Fuel Cell Station

The U.S. Department of Energy today issued the following statement in support of the commissioning of the worlds first tri-generation fuel cell and hydrogen energy station to provide transportation fuel to the public and electric power to an industrial facility, located at the Orange County Sanitation District's wastewater treatment plant in Fountain Valley, California. The fuel cell commissioned today is a combined heat, hydrogen, and power system that co-produces hydrogen in addition to electricity and heat, making it a trigeneration system. The hydrogen produced by the system is sent to a hydrogen fueling station that will be open to the public and can support between 25 and 50 fuel cell electric vehicle fillups per day. The fuel cell

also produces approximately 250 kW of power for use by the wastewater treatment plant. This on-site approach to hydrogen production advances hydrogen infrastructure technologies that will accelerate the use of this The project is managed by renewable fuel. Air Products and additional Innovations like this demonstrate how American ingenuity and targeted investment can accelerate breakthroughs in the hydrogen and fuel cell industry while driving the clean energy economy forward, said DOEs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Energy Steve Chalk. The Fountain Valley trigeneration fuel cell and hydrogen energy station uses biogas from the municipal wastewater treatment plant as the fuel for a fuel cell. The system is integrated with a hydrogen purification sys-

tem to recover approximately 100 kg of hydrogen per day. The project was developed as a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, California Air Resources Board, the Orange County Sanitation District, and private industry.

partners include FuelCell Energy, Inc. and the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine. The Fountain Valley fuel cell system could offer a pathway to low-cost hydrogen and also demonstrates the versatility of fuel cells to utilize multiple feedstocks, such as biogas and natural gas.

Propane GAS Act of 2011 Needs Your Support

The Propane Green Autogas Solutions Act of 2011 would extend for five years federal alternative fuel tax credits for: Propane autogas fuel ($.50 / gallon); Propane autogas vehicles (50% - 80% incremental cost); and, Propane autogas refueling equipment (30% up to $30,000). The Propane GAS Act offers fleet operations and private investors the kind of long -term tax incentives necessary to further solidify propane autogas as a viable and competitive alternative fuel. How You Can Help ROUSH CleanTech, the NPGA, and our other partners in the propane industry are looking for your help. Whether you're a fleet manager, a propane industry supplier, or a distributor of fuel, there are a few simple ways you can help:

Fuel Economy Tip Of The Month

Familiarize yourself with the benefits of the Propane GAS Act Write a letter to your congressional representatives Join the National Propane Gas Association as a Member

With your help, we can extend these important tax credits to ensure an even playing field with all the other alternative fuel solutions out there. For more information, visit www.npga.org.
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Take advantage of carpools and ride-share programs. You can cut your weekly fuel costs in half and save wear on your car if you take turns driving with other commuters. Many urban areas allow vehicles with multiple passengers to use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes which are typically less congested, further improving fuel economy.

October 2011 719-494-6592 http://southern.cleancitiescolorado.org

Denver B-Cycles and Encana Combine Their Passions

With over 50 bicycle sharing stations situated throughout the city, the maintenance trucks that help transport and balance Denver Bike Sharings' B-Cycle's bike inventory find themselves with a busy schedule. Fortunately for them though, Encana Oil and Gas recently awarded B-Cycles a $40,000 grant that allowed them to install compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion packages within two of their maintenance trucks. These conversions, performed by FuelTek Conversion Corp., now allow the trucks to fill up at any of the 12 public Clean Energy-provided CNG fuel stations located throughout the area. Parry Burnap, the Executive Director of Denver Bike Sharing, lauded the cooperative effort by saying, "Thanks to the support of Encana, Denver Bike Sharing is excited that we were able to convert our truck fleet to CNG. . . The conversion of CNG supports our goal of being environmentally sustainable in all aspects of our business operations." This conversion not only translates to Denver B-cycles creating fewer emissions, but also amounts to annual fuel savings of between $1,500 and $2,000. The integration of CNG fueling stations across the area is also a milestone that Clean Energy is proud to be a part of.
Denvers Bike Share has gone even greener with CNG.

James Orsulak, the business development manager at Clean Energy remarked, "We are seeing an increase in the adoption of CNG in small and medium-sized fleets at our public access stations." This trend could be an indication of what our future vehicle fuel sources may be, both here in Colorado as well as nationwide. This recent conversion is just one more way in which Denver Bike Sharing will be able to continue its efforts toward promoting health, quality of life, and preservation of the environment here in Denver. So now when you hop on a Denver B-Cycle bike for a trek across town, you can rest assured knowing that the next leg of its trip will take place using either pedal-power or CNG, both of which you can feel good about supporting!

RFA Applauds Big 3 For Flex Fuel Goal

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today commended General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler for meeting their pledge to produce 50 percent of their new vehicles as flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) by 2012. Flexible fuel vehicles are cars, pickups, or SUVs capable of using any blend of ethanol up to 85 percent of the gasoline, or E85. Ethanol-ready vehicles are essential if Americans are to increase our use of domestically-produced ethanol and reduce our reliance on imported oil, said RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen. In order to see this industry continue to grow and evolve, including the commercialization of new ethanol technologies, we must continue to invest in FFVs, blender pumps, and other infrastructure to maximize the benefits of using a homegrown renewable fuel. The RFA commends the Big Three for living up to their commitment and challenges other automakers to follow their lead. According to data compiled by the RFA from expected FFV model production and conversations with General Motors and Ford Motor Co., Americas Big 3 are on pace to produce half of all new vehicles as FFVs in 2012. Currently, there are approximately 9 million FFVs in use. The RFA has compiled a list of FFVs available by make, model and model year. To see if your vehicle may be a FFV, download the list here.
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Question of the Month

What is Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and where can I find out more about CAFE? ANSWER: First enacted by Congress in 1975, the purpose of CAFE is to reduce energy consumption by increasing the fuel economy of cars and light trucks. NHTSA administers the CAFE program, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides the fuel economy data. NHTSA sets fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. while EPA calculates the average fuel economy for each manufacturer. At www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy you can find an immense amount of information about the CAFE program including a CAFE overview, rulemaking actions, fleet characteristics data, compliance activities, summaries of manufacturers fuel economy performances since 1978, and related studies.

October 2011 719-494-6592 http://southern.cleancitiescolorado.org

GRANT SOLICITATIONS
Reduction of Black Carbon from Diesel The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requests proposals for Arctic Black Carbon: Reduction of Black Carbon from Diesel Sources. Through this RFP, EPA will support development, assessment, implementation, and mitigation activities for diesel sources of black carbon in the Russian Arctic. $1 million expected to be available, 1 award anticipated. Responses due 11/04/11. For more info, contact Teresa Kuklinski at kuklinski.teresa@epa.gov or go to: http:// www.epa.gov/international/grants/index.html. Refer to Sol# EPA-OITA-2011-005.

velopment approaches that protect the environment, improve public health, create jobs, expand economic opportunity, and improve overall quality of life. Assistance will be provided in two ways: first, EPA will select up to 50 communities and provide direct assistance by EPA staff and private sector experts, and second, EPA has awarded cooperative agreements to four non-government organizations with sustainable community expertise to deliver technical assistance. For more information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/ smartgrowth/buildingblocks-2011-rfli.htm.

EPA FY 2012 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program EPA, states, tribes, and territories are working together to implement the Exchange Network, a secure, Internet- and standards-based way to support electronic data reporting, sharing, and integration of both regulatory and nonregulatory environmental data. The Exchange Network Grant Program provides funding to states, tribes, inter-tribal consortia, and territories to develop and implement the information technology and information management capabilities they need to actively participate in the Exchange Network. This grant program supports the exchange of environmental data and collaborative work within the Exchange Network. Grantees may also use grant funds for the standardization, exchange and integration of geospatial information to support work to preserve and improve the environment, natural resources, and human health. In FY 2012, EPA expects to award about $10 million for 40 to 50 grants of up to $350,000. The exact number of grants will depend on the final amount of EPAs appropriation for the grant program, the number of applications submitted to EPA by the application deadline, the amounts of proposed budgets, and the outcome of application reviews. Application due November 4, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants/index.html.

Sustainability Research Networks The National Science Foundation requests proposals for the Sustainability Research Networks Competition. Through this competition, NSF, in partnership with other agencies, international efforts, and the private sector, aims to support members of the academic research community for projects which produce discoveries and knowledge that will inform decisions leading to environmental, energy, social and cultural sustainability. $36 million expected to be available, up to 4 awards anticipated. Preliminary proposals due 12/1/11, final proposals due 04/01/12. For more info, including contacts, go to: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/ pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf11574. Refer to NSF 11-574. (Grants.gov 8/25/11)

Undergraduate Environmental Fellowships The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requests proposals from undergraduate bachelor level students in environmental fields of study for the Greater Research Opportunities Fellowships Program. Areas of interest include: Natural and Life Sciences; Environmental Sciences and Interdisciplinary Programs; Engineering; Social Sciences; Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences; and Mathematics and Computer Science. $1.956 million expected to be available, up to 40 awards anticipated. Individual awards NTE $48.9K. Responses due 12/12/11. For more info, contact Georgette Boddie at boddie.georgette@epa.gov or go to: http:// www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2012/2012_gro_undergrad.html. Each area of interest has a different RFP number. (Grants.gov 8/23/11)

NOAA Sea Grant Community Climate Adaptation Initiative 2011 NOAA Sea Grant expects to make available up to $1 million for a national competition to fund climate adaptation efforts for FY 2012-2013 as part of an overall plan to enhance climate adaptation in coastal communities. This Federal Funding Opportunity includes information on how to apply for this funding opportunity and criteria for climate adaptation projects requesting a total of up to $100,000 in federal funds. Matching funds are required. Climate adaptation projects are expected to be conducted in partnership with local community governments and state and federal agencies. Projects selected in this competition will be awarded and funded in FY 2012-2013. More information is available at: http://www.grants.gov/search/ search.do;jsessionid=mT9DTT2X6DPhyt8x1qZ0J6dTymhMvhLs qT1h1Qcf4cD5KBk0fhnm!-1660189374? oppId=103673&mode=VIEW.

EPA 2011 Smart Growth Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities seeks to provide quick, targeted technical assistance to communities using a variety of tools that have demonstrated results and widespread application. This technical assistance will help selected local and/or tribal governments to implement deSC4

October 2011 719-494-6592 http://southern.cleancitiescolorado.org

LOCAL EVENTS (click the links for details)

11/17 - 11/18 Colorado Sustainability Conference, Colorado Springs, CO 12/6 - 12/7 Colorado ENERGY STAR Summit 2011, Marriott Denver Tech Center, Denver, CO 2/8 - 2/10 Solar Power Colorado 2012, Embassy Suites Conference Center, Loveland, CO 2/24 Energy Forum and Expo, Two Rivers Convention Center, Grand Junction, CO

DOE Launches Vehicle Cost Calculator

DOEs Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) today launched a new Vehicle Cost Calculator and accompanying widget. These online tools are now available on DOE's Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC), currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. The AFDC helps consumers, fleet managers, and local governments find and compare energy-saving vehicles that can reduce their petroleum consumption. By providing a variety of tools, databases, and informational resources on vehicles powered by alternatives to gasoline and diesel, the AFDC helps users buy the efficient vehicles that are right for them. The latest addition to the Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) is the Vehicle Cost Calculator, an easy-to-use tool that allows users to compare emissions and lifetime operating costs of specific vehicle models, including conventional cars and trucks, as well as vehicles running on alternative fuels such as electricity, ethanol, natural gas, or biodiesel. With the new calculator, which was developed by DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), car shoppers, small business owners, and fleet managers can make side-by-side comparisons between thousands of conventional, electric drive, and alternative fuel vehicles from model year 1996 and newer. The calculator also lets users enter information such as driving habits, local ZIP code, price of fuel, and potential tax credits to personalize their results. Find out more http://cleancities.energy.gov/

NATIONAL EVENTS (click the links for details)

11/1 - 11/3 EV Roadmap 4: Getting to a Million, Portland, OR

Phone: (719) 494-6592 E-Mail: Alicia@cleancitiescolorado.org Dianne@cleancitiescolo rado.org Web: http://southern. clean citiescolorado.org Find Us on Facebook: Southern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition Follow Us On Twitter: @SoCOCleanCities

About the Southern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition

Southern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition (SC4) develops public/private partnerships in Southern Colorado to promote alternative fuels and advanced vehicles, fuel blends, fuel economy, hybrid vehicles, idle reduction, and alternative modes of transportation. SC4 enhances energy, environmental, and economic security throughout southern Colorado by promoting efforts to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector. Southern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition is a coalition of individuals, businesses and organizations, both public and private. SC4 was first designated as a coalition on July 13th 1994. SC4 is one of approximately 90 U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities programs in the nation. Current SC4 partners include: ROUSH CleanTech, City of Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs Utilities, Dwire Earthmoving and Excavating, US General Services Administration-Colorado Fleet Management Center, Yellow Cab Taxi Service - Colorado Springs, City of Fountain, Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, Pueblo County, Amerigas, Perkins Motor Company, Duke's Garage, San Isabel Electric, Phil Long Ford, Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments & El Paso County. Contact us to join today!

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October 2011 719-494-6592 http://southern.cleancitiescolorado.org