Governor Paterson Announces NY Alternative Fuel Transportation Projects Awarded stimulus funds

August 24, 2009

Governor David A. Paterson announced today that New York has been awarded two U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grants totaling more than $28 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to assist school districts, local governments, public universities, and private businesses in purchasing clean fuel and alternative fuel vehicles and associated infrastructure.

The $13.3 million Department of Energy Clean Cities grant to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will be matched with $18.8 million in cost-share from the Authority’s partners to purchase 307 alternative fuel vehicles and eight infrastructure projects across the State. This investment will lead to reduced petroleum consumption by displacing an estimated 302,000 gallons of petroleum per year and thus cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC) was awarded a grant of $14.99 million to deploy five alternative fuel stations and 179 alternative fuel vehicles in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. DOE estimates the program will displace 351,000 gallons of petroleum annually.

“These awards fit perfectly with our plan to grow New York’s clean energy economy, which is a central part of our New Economy Jobs Plan. This funding will help create the infrastructure for alternative fuels and help local governments, school districts and businesses around the state convert to alternative fuel vehicles and demonstrate that these vehicles are practical and cost effective. And these projects will help New York address the very real threat of climate change,” Governor Paterson said.

Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA, said, “NYSERDA and our partners are committed to investing in the latest transportation technologies that protect our environment, improve local air quality, and reduce dependence on foreign oil; all part of Governor Paterson’s comprehensive clean energy strategy. In particular, school districts will now have the resources to purchase equipment to transport our young children in environmentally-friendly ways that will minimize the adverse effects that air pollution has on the health of young children. I commend each entity awarded funds for rightly placing environmental stewardship at a high priority.”

Rita Ebert, Program Director for the GLICCC, said, “Through the Long Island Regional Energy Collaborative, GLICCC will help Long Island transform into a fuel independent, efficient and environmentally responsible region. By increasing the demand for clean fuels and technologies, Long Island will benefit from a growing economy, cleaner air and a sustainable future. I would like to thank Congressman Steve Israel for his ongoing support to the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition and other Clean Cities throughout the nation.”

NYSERDA Award

NYSERDA partnered with the Clean Communities of Western New York, Genesee Region Clean Communities, Clean Communities of Central New York, Capital District Clean Communities, and the New York City and Lower Hudson Valley Clean Communities organizations to compile and submit one competitive proposal to the DOE for alternative fuel vehicle and infrastructure development funds.

Funds were awarded for vehicles for utility companies, local and county governments, school districts, universities and other private companies. In addition, various advanced vehicle technologies were included in the application, such as compressed natural gas (CNG), liquid propane gas (LPG), electric vehicles (EV) and neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV), hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEV). The vehicles will be deployed throughout the State and will provide data to NYSERDA and the DOE on how these technologies operate in diverse driving and weather conditions.

Projects that will be awarded funds include:

• Central Hudson Gas & Electric: 4 PHEVs, 4 HEVs, Charging stations
• Chemung County: 10 LPG vans, pick-up trucks
• City of Albany: 1 heavy-duty HEV, 1 heavy-duty hydraulic hybrid, 10 light-duty HEVs
• City of Rochester: 6 NEVs, 2 light-duty CNG vehicles
• City of Syracuse: 5 heavy-duty CNG vehicles, 24 light-duty CNG vehicles, 2 light-duty HEVs
• Coca-Cola: 20 HEV delivery trucks
• Corning-Painted Post CSD: 3 LPG school buses
• Cuse Car: CNG, electric fueling stations
• East Greenbush Central School District: 1 PHEV school bus
• Fairport Central School District: 2 PHEV school buses
• Ferrario Ford: 5 LPG pick-up trucks, LPG fueling station
• Gilboa-Conesville Central School District: 1 LPG school bus
• Harbec: 1 HEV delivery truck
• Hoosic Valley Central School District: 3 LPG school buses, LPG fueling station
• Malone Central School District: 5 LPG school buses
• Monroe County: 4 LPG pick-up trucks, LPG fueling station
• NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: 2 HEV buses
• Praxair: 1 HEV delivery truck
• Republic Service Inc.: 4 heavy-duty CNG trucks
• Southern Tier News: 6 light-duty LPG vehicles, LPG fueling station
• Village of Warwick: 3 HEV school buses, electric charging stations
• SUNY Albany: 3 NEVs, 5 HEV buses
• Tompkins County: 3 light-duty HEVs
• Trumansburg Central School District: 3 LPG school buses
• Village of Minoa: 1 heavy-duty CNG vehicle
• Wayne Central School District: 2 LPG school buses
• Palmyra-Macedon Central School District: 1 HEV school bus
• National Grid: 11 heavy-duty CNG vehicles, CNG fueling stations
• Bard College: 1 HEV bus, 2 light-duty HEVs, 1 NEV, 1 light-duty EV van
• Manhattan Beer: 1 HEV delivery truck
• NYS Department of State: E85 Firefighter Training Program
• Verizon: 120 CNG vans
• NY Institute of Technology: 20 light-duty PHEVs Charlotte Valley Central School District: 2 LPG school buses

Long Island Award

The Coalition and its partners will deploy five compressed natural gas (CNG) stations on Long Island. It also will deploy 87 heavy-duty trucks throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, including 44 CNG refuse trucks, 40 heavy-duty CNG dump trucks and three heavy-duty CNG trucks. Through the Long Island Regional Energy Collaborative, GLICCC partnered with Nassau County, Suffolk County, the Town of Oyster Bay and Engineered Energy Solutions.

The DOE grant funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R.1) and was awarded as part of the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program. On Wednesday, the DOE announced grants that will establish 542 refueling locations and deploy 9,000 vehicles nationally. The vehicles and infrastructure being funded include the use of natural and renewable gas, propane, ethanol, biodiesel, electricity, and hybrid technologies.

Rep. Israel also introduced the Clean Cities Authorization Act (H.R.3488), which directs the Secretary of Energy to carry out the Clean Cities program to encourage and accelerate the use of non-petroleum based fuels, alternative fuel vehicles and other advanced vehicle technologies to reduce the overall use of petroleum in the transportation sector.

CONTACT:

Sal Graven, NYSERDA
518-862-1090, ext 3331
sg2@nyserda.ny.gov