Renewable Diesel Availability at Public Gas Stations to 3 New States!

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Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities (YTCC) is excited to announce a significant expansion of its sustainable fuel efforts with Renewable Diesel now available at public gas stations in Belgrade, MT; Jackson, WY; and Nampa, ID. This collaborative effort, with Parkland USA and Farstad Oil underscores YTCC’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a practical way and promoting cleaner transportation solutions in the region.

Renewable Diesel is a premium alternative to traditional diesel fuel that is produced from renewable resources such as animal fats, vegetable oils, and other organic feedstocks. It is a lower-carbon emitting, high-performance fuel that can help reduce the environmental impact of transportation while maintaining the efficiency and increasing reliability demanded by consumers.

“We are thrilled to bring Renewable Diesel to Belgrade, Jackson, and Nampa,” said Jesse Therien,  Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities, Project Manager. Jesse has been working persistently and attentively for over a year to educate fleet managers and station owners in the region about the benefits of Renewable Diesel. 

“This endeavor not only supports YTCC’s mission but also aligns with the broader goal of the Biden administration to transition to a decarbonized transportation system”, said Alicia Cox, Executive Director of Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities.

Renewable Diesel offers several key benefits, including:

Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Renewable Diesel produces up to 75% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional diesel, contributing to a cleaner environment.

Improved Air Quality: Using Renewable Diesel can help reduce air pollutants and particulate matter, leading to improved air quality in urban areas.

Compatibility with Existing Engines: Renewable Diesel can be used in existing diesel engines without modifications, making it a practical choice for fleets and individual drivers. It reduces DPF regens and DEF consumption.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Jesse and Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities  to be the first to offer renewable diesel in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming,” Cole Mort, Sales Manager Northern Regional Operating Center (ROC).

YTCC is actively working with local gas station owners, fuel distributors, government agencies and businesses to facilitate the introduction of Renewable Diesel at public stations as well as deliveries to specific fleet fueling locations. Through educational outreach and logistical support, YTCC works to make this sustainable fuel option easily accessible to those in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

The success of this partnership will not only benefit the local communities by offering cleaner fuel options but also contribute to the nationwide effort to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. YTCC recognizes the critical importance of expanding access to domestic sustainable fuels like Renewable Diesel to meet environmental goals and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. 

Schedule an Electric Vehicle Ride and Drive

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Next month we will be celebrating National Drive Electric Week from September 22nd through October 1st. During this week the EV Experience team will be offering electric vehicle ‘ride and drives’…

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Celebrating 20 years of YTCC

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Check out this beautiful video highlighting some of YTCC’s work over the past 20 years.

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The Wheel House Commuter Bike Parking Hub Launches for the 2023 Season

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Skip the Traffic and Enjoy Your Ride

Jackson, Wyoming – June 8, 2023: The Wheel House commuter bike hub is now open at Stilson Parking Lot, offering a secure location for overnight bike parking and electric bike charging. Commuters can take advantage of this facility by parking, locking, and charging their bikes for free within The Wheel House. 

Residents and employees of Jackson Hole can now bypass the summer traffic and experience a stress-free journey to and from work using the local pathways. This program, in its 2nd year,  allows individuals commuting over Teton Pass or from the Westbank to park their vehicles, hop on their bikes, and cycle the remaining part of their commute.

“Most who live here have experienced being stuck in traffic on Hwy 22 during the summer months.  We wanted to offer an option to make it easier for folks to get out of their cars and allow biking to be a more inviting commute option, particularly with the bridge construction this summer,” Alicia Cox, Executive Director, Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities.

If you already bike commute but have been transporting your bike on the back of your vehicle each day, or you want to start commuting with your personal bike, you can simply lock your bike inside the tent and leave it there.  The program is free but please sign-up for the program so we can easily communicate with program participants. You can sign up here at the program page on YTCC’s website: https://ytcleancities.org/wheel-house-commuter-bike-hub/

Interested in improving your employees’ commute so they aren’t stuck in traffic? Consider providing e-bikes at the Stilson location for your employees to use. 

Contact:

Alicia Cox, Executive Director

Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities

810-955-5811

alicia@ytcleancities.org

About The Wheel House:

The Wheel House commuter bike hub is the result of a partnership between Friends of Pathways, Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities, Teton Village Association and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. These organizations are dedicated to enhancing traffic flow and reducing emissions along Highway 22 in Jackson Hole.

Wyoming Updates NEVI and VW Funding Timeline

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Wyoming DOT updated their timeline regarding NEVI and VW Funding. Note the in-person workshop scheduled for May 9th in Casper, WY will be moved to May 24th if any delay in this timeline occurs. If the workshop is delayed, deadlines are also delayed by two weeks.

As a reminder, the NEVI funding can only be used along the previously designated alternative fuel corridors. Year one funding of the NEVI program will only fund stations in the towns of Pine Bluffs, Laramie, Wheatland, Douglas, Buffalo, Sheridan, and Sundance.

The VW Funding is an excellent funding option for communities and businesses that are not located along the alternative fuel corridor. There is a total of $1.2 million available. The draft process to apply for these funds will be posted on April 1st as noted in the timeline below. Some high level priorities and program guidance for VW funds are outlined in Wyoming’s Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy:

  1. VW settlement funds will be open to off route recipients and include Level 2 and lower output Level 3 charging at multifamily dwellings and businesses more suited to local area travel.
  2. These funds will support up to 50% of the purchase and installation costs for this program.
  3. Funds will be awarded to qualified applicants on a first come, first served basis until all funds are exhausted. Applications from corridor funded areas will not be considered in this pool.

In addition to the VW Funding, the Community Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant program is also a great option for communities not along the alternative fuel corridors. This program is not yet open but the program website, linked above, is live.

Yesterday’s Wyoming Timeline Updates below:

Recently, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Standards and Requirements final rule. That release initiated actions for WYDOT and other state agencies to finalize the NEVI Funding Requests for Proposal (RFP) and the procedure for interested parties to apply for VW Settlement Funds.

While the NEVI final rules did answer some questions, it raised others. We continue to work with FHWA to clarify requirements and ensure the NEVI RFP is as comprehensive as possible. We are still waiting for some answers but feel we are far enough along to issue a predicted timeline for the next steps in the funding announcement process.

In addition, WYDOT continues to synchronize electric vehicle infrastructure support activities with other state agencies, which will require a longer RFP review process than normal. We will build that additional review time into RFP issuance and submittal schedules. This updated timeline is subject to change based upon FHWA responses and other State Agency review requirements.

Updated Timeline – Expected completion dates (NLT = no later than)

  1. Draft Cybersecurity requirement language received from the Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Service – March 3, 2023
  2. Final FHWA answers or clarification to NEVI final rule questions – March 7, 2023
  3. Draft RFP complete and submitted for State Agency Review – March 10, 2023
  4. RFP approved and posted for public review / comment – NLT April 1, 2023
  5. VW Settlement Fund Application Procedures posted – NLT April 1, 2023
  6. RFP questions due to WYDOT (RFP will provide additional information) – NLT April 21, 2023
  7. VW Settlement Application Procedures questions due to WYDOT – NLT April 21, 2023
  8. WYDOT response to RFP and VW Settlement application procedure questions – NLT April 28, 2023
  9. NEVI / VW Settlement Funding Workshop – May 9, Thyra Thomson State Office Building Casper, WY
    • Registration procedures and agenda will publish NLT April 10, 2023
  10. Final questions for NEVI RFP due to WYDOT NLT May 31, 2023
  11. WYDOT response to additional NEVI RFP questions NLT June 7, 2023
  12. RFP closes for proposals – on or about June 15, 2023
  13. VW Settlement Fund Application submissions activate on or about June 15, 2023

There is a possibility the timeline could be delayed during the RFP review process or by additional guidance we may receive from FHWA. In that case we have a secondary date for the Workshop arranged at the Thyra Thomson State Office Building on May 24, 2023. If we must delay the workshop, the final questions, RFP closing, and VW Settlement Funding Application opening dates will also be delayed by two weeks. We will publish an updated timeline.

If FHWA publishes guidance for discretionary grant programs prior to the workshop, we will cover those programs at that workshop. We will post any additional information on this site when it becomes available.

Want to make your building EV Ready? Calculate the costs here!

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It is considerably less to install the conduit at time of construction or when re-surfacing a parking lot than retrofitting, but there are still costs involved with running the conduit. What might it cost you to construct an EV Ready parking space? Find out with this calculator.

Clean Vehicle Tax Credit

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There is a lot of information to sift through when considering the new electric and fuel cell vehicle tax credit. We hope this one pager will help highlight some of the key aspects and help you on your journey towards utilizing this tax credit for your electric vehicle purchase.

Visit to Billings, MT Renewable Natural Gas Facility

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With a start-up date of December 2010 and at a cost of $10 million, this Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) plant has been in operation for more than 12 years. 

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Celebrating 20 Years

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YTCC has been celebrating our 20th year anniversary and we continue to do so through this Spring. We compiled a timeline of our work for a poster at our in-person events and would love to share with you all here!

YTCC-20-year-history-5Download

Town Council approves YTCC Electric Vehicle Charging Station Text Amendment

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Town Council approves Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities LDR Electric Vehicle Charging Station Text Amendment 

Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities applied for an amendment to the Land Development Regulations to require specific percentages of electric vehicle charging station(s) and electric vehicle charging station ready spaces be installed at time of new building construction.

Contacts:

Alicia Cox, Executive Director

Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities

alicia@ytcleancities.org

810-955-5811

Jackson, WY | January 19th — After the third and final reading at the January 17th Town Council meeting, the Town Council approved the electric vehicle charging station (EVSE) Land Development Regulation (LDR) amendment, establishing ordinance 1339, which became effective January 18th. 

The EVSE LDR amendment, proposed by Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities (YTCC), provides the guidance to require charging infrastructure and electric vehicle charging station “ready” spaces to support electric vehicle charging stations at newly constructed workplaces, multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) and residential locations. The intent is to install charging infrastructure at the time of construction, when it is least expensive to do so, and to allow future MUD homeowners or renters access to charging at home. Studies have found 80% of charging occurs at home. YTCC worked with Alex Norton of OPS Strategies, to develop the amendment language to best align with the LDRs.

Currently, there are 22 Level 2 and DC fast charging station locations with 49 ports available to the public. Only a handful are considered “workplace charging” where an employee can charge during their working hours. In addition, there are no level 2 charging stations currently available at MUDs. Those living in MUDs may not have a dedicated garage or even parking space and if they rent, the ability to charge an electric vehicle at home is even more complex and potentially cost prohibitive to install. 

The number of registered electric vehicles in the Town of Jackson has outpaced adoption at the national level. Lower Valley Energy, the utility serving the Town of Jackson, provides some of the cleanest and cheapest electricity in the nation, providing Town of Jackson residents, businesses, and government entities the opportunity to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also saving on fuel costs. 

“We are so pleased and fortunate to have town staff and elected officials who support and understand the importance of providing this guidance. This ordinance is a significant step towards the Town reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing equitable access to charging infrastructure and ensuring fiscal responsibility by installing or preparing sites for charging infrastructure at the time of least cost. We are very thankful to the Town Council for approving this measure.” Alicia Cox, Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities Executive Director.

This amendment aligns well with the Town of Jackson’s NetZero 2030 goal. As the availability of charging infrastructure grows, the ability for all income levels of Town of Jackson residents to purchase an electric vehicle increases as well. In addition, the cost to install a station during construction is four times less than installing post construction.

“The Town of Jackson is extremely excited for this amendment because it addresses the future of EV charging in our community.” Johnny Ziem, Assistant Public Works Director, Town of Jackson. 

“Not only do electric vehicles produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles, they also contribute less to air and water pollution. This ordinance will make it easier for the Town of Jackson to meet both our sustainability goals and the growing demand for electric vehicle charging while providing more residents with the freedom to drive the vehicle that is right for them.” Tanya Anderson, Ecosystem Stewardship Administrator, Town of Jackson.

The early models of electric vehicles were often considered luxury vehicles, but with all major car manufacturers having made commitments to electric vehicles, the number of base models available have grown to 40 with many at competitive sticker prices. Some new electric cars starting MSRP are around $28,000 and adding the $7,500 tax credit brings the price close to $20,000 for a new car.  In addition, as electric vehicles are into their second decade of availability, used electric vehicles are more available. Finally, the inflation reduction act provided for the expansion of the electric vehicle tax credit to last until 2032 and used vehicles, at least 2 years old, can qualify for up to a $4,000 tax credit.

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Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities is the sole regional designee of the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program. YTCC works to advance alternative fuels, vehicles and infrastructure and sustainable transportation options to increase energy security and sustainability in the Greater Yellowstone region.