Archive for category: Fuels

Question of the Month

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Model Year 2017 and Beyond: Light-Duty Fuel Economy and Emissions Standards

A photo of a car at a stoplight with exhaust spewing out the tailpipe.

What are the current and future light-duty vehicle fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), light-duty vehicles (LDVs) emit nearly 60% of transportation-related GHG emissions and use more than half of all petroleum transportation fuel in the United States. In 1975, Congress enacted the Energy Conservation and Policy Act, which directed the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program. The goal of the CAFE program is to reduce national energy consumption through fuel economy improvements.

Read more about emissions standards here.

For further information, or for any questions, feel free to contact the Technical Response Service Team:

Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team

Request for Proposals for CNG Station Land

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The Request for Proposals (RFP) to lease land for the new CNG station is available.  Please read through and consider any land around town that seems feasible.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Red Lodge!

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Red Lodge, MT, The City of – Red Lodge has joined the growing regional network of electric vehicle charging
stations! 2 Tesla Destination Chargers and 2 Universal Clipper Creek Chargers sit adjacent to the Public
Restroom at 305 N Oakes Ave. The chargers will bring in new visitors to Red Lodge and the Beartooth Pass,
providing a new destination for electric vehicle owners.

How Much Do Electric Cars Pollute? Report Says When and Where You Plug In Matters

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A new study suggests reducing fossil fuel use in the electricity sector and encouraging workplace charging are two important factors in achieving the greatest electric vehicle (EV) emissions reduction.

Read more here.

It’s Tax Time! Understanding Alternative Fuel and Infrastructure Tax Credits

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A photo of tax forms, a pen, and a calculator.

Recent federal tax incentive extensions and changes impact alternative fuel and infrastructure tax credits.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (H.R. 2029) retroactively extended several tax credits, including theAlternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit. It also included updates to the calculation method for Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit amounts, specifically for propane and liquefied natural gas(LNG). Below we discuss three frequently asked questions about these credits.

How have the Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit amounts changed for propane and LNG in 2016 and beyond?

The Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit applies to alternative fuel sold or used to operate a motor vehicle. Previously, the excise tax credit amount for propane and LNG was based on a volumetric basis ($0.50 per gallon). For fuel sold or used starting January 1, 2016, however, the excise tax credit amount for propane and LNG is based on an energy equivalent basis. This means the credit for propane is now measured per gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) and LNG is measured per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE). Specifically, the updated Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 8849, Schedule 3 defines 2016 tax credit rates for propane and LNG as follows:

  • Propane: One GGE is equal to 5.75 pounds (lbs.) or 1.353 gallons of propane.
  • LNG: One DGE is equal to 6.06 lbs. or 1.71 gallons of LNG.

What does this mean for propane and natural gas retailers and fleets? In short, the tax credit for the same amount of fuel is now less:

  • The propane tax credit was previously $0.50 per gallon and is now $0.50 per GGE (1.353 gallons of propane), which equates to $0.37 per gallon.
  • The LNG tax credit was previously $0.50 per gallon and is now $0.50 per DGE (1.71 gallons of LNG), which equates to$0.29 per gallon.

The tax credit amount for compressed natural gas (CNG) is still based on the GGE, where one GGE is equal to 121 cubic feet.

Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica) provides additional information on federal tax incentives for LNG and CNG, and highlights the impacts of the recent tax credit changes in the article, New Year Rings in Changes for CNG and LNG in 2016. The National Propane Gas Association explains the excise tax equalization for propane.

So, you said the Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit was retroactively extended. Does that mean I can claim it for fuels sold or used in 2015?

Yes! Both the federal Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit and Biodiesel Mixture Excise Tax Credit were extended to cover 2015, meaning that propane, CNG, LNG, hydrogen, and biodiesel sold or used in 2015 are eligible for the federal tax credit. To file for the tax credit, registered claimants must submit a single one-time 2015 claim with IRS Form 8849, as well as the accompanying Schedule 3. The deadline to submit a claim for fuels sold or used in 2015 is August 8, 2016.

Please note that the tax credit amount for propane and LNG sold or used in 2015 is based on the previous, volumetric rate of $0.50 per gallon.

For additional information on claiming the tax credit for fuels sold or used in 2015, please see IRS Notice 2016-05.

Are tax-exempt entities eligible for the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit?

While a tax-exempt entity, such as a school or state government fleet, may not be eligible to claim the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit directly, the entity selling the fueling infrastructure to the tax-exempt entity can claim the credit and pass the “discount” along to the fleet. According to Title 26 of the United States Code, Section 30C(e)(3), the entity selling the fueling equipment to the tax-exempt entity can be treated as the taxpayer and claim the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit, but only if the seller discloses the amount of the credit allowable to the tax-exempt purchaser in writing. In practice, this means the tax-exempt fleet would have the opportunity to use this information to request a discount. However, the infrastructure seller is not required to pass along any savings associated with the tax credit.

For more information on how tax-exempt entities may be eligible for the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit, please see the IRS Instructions for Form 8911.

Please note that the Technical Response Service recommends consulting a qualified tax professional or the IRS before making any tax-related decisions.

Understanding How and Where Plug-In Electric Vehicle Drivers Charge Up

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Understanding How and Where Plug-In Electric Vehicle Drivers Charge Up

Photo of a car being recharged in a wooded area.

New research findings dispute the belief that the growth of the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market requires a large network of public charging stations.

Locating places to recharge is one of the most commonly cited barriers to PEVs. With gas stations seemingly on every corner, it seems logical to conclude that a similarly expansive network of public charging stations is needed for wide-spread adoption of PEVs. However, a new study supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), published in the reportPlugged In: How Americans Charge Their Electric Vehicles, shows that while public charging is helpful, it is far less important and much more rarely used than residential and workplace charging.

To increase understanding of how many and where charging stations need to be installed, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) recently analyzed three years of data collected from 8,300 PEVs; nearly 17,000 residential, commercial, and public AC Level 2 charging stations; and more than 100 DC fast charging stations. The project area covered 22 regions across the United States, constituting the largest PEV infrastructure demonstration in the world.

Below are a few of the most relevant findings from the new research report.

  • Fueling up at home—which is not an option with conventional vehicles—is very important to PEV drivers. About half of drivers did less than 5% of their charging away from home.
  • Workplace charging proved to be an effective way to increase all-electric range. Many drivers performed the majority of away-from-home charging at their workplaces.
  • Public charging stations are most useful when installed at locations where cars are parked for a long time, such as shopping malls, commuter parking lots, and airports.
  • Timing of home charging can be flexible and economical, especially with the “depart-by-time” scheduling function available on many vehicles and chargers.
  • While charging station costs vary by area, Level 2 stations averaged $1,354 for homes, $2,223 for workplaces, $3,108 for public locations, and $22,626 for DC fast charging.

INL and DOE plan to share the study’s results with a number of stakeholders to inform national policy recommendations, state infrastructure planning, regional electric utility planning, and vehicle regulation.

To learn more, read the full blog post.

EVSE Rebate Program Launched

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Join Clean Cities to Help the Yellowstone-Teton Region Plug-In                         

Local non-profit offering $5,000 rebates for electric vehicle charging stations

Contact:

Alicia Cox
Executive Director
Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities

810.955.5811 · alicia@ytcleanenergy.org

 

Jackson, Wyoming | January 13, 2016 – Local businesses now have a unique financial opportunity to help develop the necessary infrastructure to electrify our region’s vehicle transportation. Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities (YTCC) is offering $5,000 rebates through two different programs for the installation of publicly available electric vehicle charging stations. Businesses and municipalities in the gateway communities of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks qualify. Applications are available at ytcleancities.org.

Just five years ago, only a few hundred EVs were sold each month, nationally. Now, EV sales are roughly 10,000 per month and are expected to continue to grow as charging infrastructure expands and drivers become better informed about the benefits of going electric. With zero tailpipe emissions, significantly better efficiency, and fewer parts requiring maintenance, EVs have proven to be reliable and cost-effective vehicles.

Businesses are beginning to see the benefits of providing their customers with the opportunity to charge while they shop. Hosting a station increases customer traffic, as many EV drivers will shop at certain locations specifically for its charging access, and it increases shopping time, with customers spending their charging time in the store.

In 2013 YTCC partnered with the Town of Jackson and Energy Conservation Works to install four charging stations in the Town of Jackson. In addition, YTCC recently partnered with Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks and secured funding to install charging stations throughout both parks in the spring and summer of this year. “With the Town of Jackson and the National Parks leading the way with charging opportunities, the charging stations installed through this rebate opportunity will help complete the regional infrastructure necessary to allow plug-in electric vehicles to move throughout the Greater Yellowstone Region on electric,” Alicia Cox, Executive Director, Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities. These $5,000 rebates significantly reduce the costs of installation and allows local businesses the opportunity to take advantage of the many associated benefits of offering charging to customers.

To learn more about this program please join YTCC’s webinar on Thursday, January 21st at 11:00am or attend a ‘lunch and learn’ at the Jackson Whole Grocer’s community room on Thursday, January 28th from 11:30am-12:30pm. Please visit YTCC’s website at ytcleancities.org for webinar login and details.

YTCC is a non-profit based in Jackson with a mission to advance the nation’s environmental, economic, and energy security by supporting local actions to reduce petroleum use in transportation. Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities is the sole regional designee of the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program. The rebates are funded by two grants through the Teton Conservation District and the Environmental Protection Agency. Each program has separate requirements, so inquire with Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities to learn which program works for you.

Renewable Natural Gas: Repurposing Waste to Fuel Vehicles

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Photo of a garbage hauler in a dump.What is renewable natural gas and how can it be used to fuel vehicles?

Renewable natural gas (RNG) is pipeline-quality natural gas made by collecting and purifying biogas, the methane produced from decomposing organic matter. Biogas can be collected from sources such as landfills, livestock operations, wastewater treatment plants, food manufacturing and wholesalers, supermarkets, restaurants, and hospitals. Once purified to remove contaminants and increase its heat content, the gas is called RNG and is a “drop-in” fuel that can be transported with conventional natural gas in pipelines, dispensed at the same fueling stations, stored in the same storage tanks, and used in natural gas vehicles without any engine modifications.

Despite its advantages, there are only 60 operational RNG production facilities in the United States. Many more use the biogas to generate electricity. This is due to federal and state programs, such as the federal Investment Tax Credit and state renewable portfolio standards, which incentivize the use of biogas for power generation rather than for vehicle fuel.

Production

The purification process for biogas is called conditioning or upgrading, and it involves removing water, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and various contaminants and trace elements. From there, RNG can be compressed to make renewable compressed natural gas (R-CNG) or super-cooled to make renewable liquefied natural gas (R-LNG).

RNG is produced from feedstocks that come from a wide range of industrial sectors, many of which already collect and process biomass as part of their daily operations:

    • Landfills: Landfill gas (LFG) is collected from decomposing waste in landfills. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), landfills are the third largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States. Landfills account for 70% of the operational RNG projects in the United States. One of the largest LFG-to-vehicle fuel projects is Waste Management’s Altamont Landfill near Livermore, California. This project produces up to 13,000 gallons of R-LNG each day to fuel 300 refuse trucks.

Livestock Operations: Animal manure can be collected and taken to an anaerobic digester for RNG production. A few farms across the country have started to use biogas to produce RNG vehicle fuel, including Hilarides Dairy in California and Fair Oaks Dairy in Indiana.

Wastewater Treatment Plants: Approximately 9% of the more than 16,000 wastewater treatment plants in the United States use anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. The Janesville Wastewater Treatment Plant in Wisconsin is an example of a plant that uses biogas to produce RNG for use in vehicles.

Other Biomass Sources: RNG can also be produced from lignocellulosic material, such as crop residues and dedicated energy crops, through thermochemical conversion, co-digestion, and dry fermentation. These technologies are being used in Europe, but have limited applications in the United States. RNG also can be produced from food waste, either alone or in conjunction with biosolids from livestock operations or wastewater treatment plants. CleanWorld Partners’ Sacramento BioDigester and quasar’s Central Ohio BioEnergy project convert food waste to RNG for vehicle fueling.

RFS2 Compliance

RNG qualifies as a cellulosic biofuel under the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) program. In fact, RNG accounted for more than 50 million renewable identification numbers (RINs) in 2014 – 98% of all cellulosic biofuel RINs. According to organizations that track biofuels market data, cellulosic biofuel RINs were valued at $0.70– 0.85 per diesel gallon equivalent in 2014;this value is expected to increase in the future.

Other Benefits

Like conventional natural gas, RNG can be produced domestically and can displace the petroleum currently being imported for transportation use. However, RNG offers some additional benefits. RNG has practically a net zero carbon impact. On a lifecycle basis, RNG accounts for fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than most currently available motor fuels. RNG can reduce GHG emissions by 95% compared to conventional gasoline and diesel fuel. This is partially because capturing biogas from landfills and livestock operations can reduce GHG emissions by preventing methane releases that were occurring into the atmosphere. Additionally, RNG produced through anaerobic digestion eliminates odors and results in nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer as a by-product. Also, biogas feedstocks are plentiful, so RNG could make use of the 450 million pounds of municipal solid waste dumped in landfills, 160 billion pounds of food waste generated, or the 500 million tons of animal waste produced each year.

Barriers

Like conventional natural gas, the main barriers to RNG are lack of vehicle availability and fueling infrastructure, though efforts are underway to address both of these obstacles. However, RNG production costs exceed those for conventional natural gas, especially for small-scale operations. Small-scale RNG production can cost around $5.50–$9per million British thermal units compared to $4.50 for conventional natural gas. Additional financing and incentive opportunities, as well as state renewable portfolio standards that encourage the investment in biogas for vehicle fuel production, may spur additional production.

More Information

For more information on RNG, please see the following additional resources:

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Workplace Charging Challenge

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Workplace Charging Challenge!

In January 2013, the Department of Energy launched the Workplace Charging Challenge as part of its EV Everywhere Grand Challenge. Electric Vehicles (EVs) represent a great opportunity to vastly reduce petroleum usage in the transportation sector, and the DOE has set a goal for the US to be the first country to produce EVs that are as affordable as standard gas-powered vehicles by 2022. As one measure to meet that goal, they’ve started the Workplace Charging Challenge, an initiative aimed at employers to provide electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) – charging stations – at their businesses for employee use.

One of the biggest barriers to entry of the market for EVs is the relative scarcity of stations where drivers can recharge their battery, resulting in range anxiety – the idea that you may not have enough battery charge to make it to work, the store, school, etc., and home again. As such, the charging infrastructure needs to be in place for EVs to be adopted on a larger scale. But charging your car’s battery is not exactly like filling up the tank. Depending on the level of charge and the battery, charging stations take from two to twenty hours to recharge a car’s battery. This makes overnight at-home charging ideal, but in order to double someone’s potential all-electric commuting range, or simply give them the flexibility to run some errands on the way home from work, workplace charging stations are a key piece of the infrastructure needed. The typical car spends anywhere from six to eight hours parked at work on weekdays, making workplace charging a prime opportunity to expand EV charging networks.

So why would employers want to take on the challenge of providing charging stations for their employees, especially if they don’t have many (or any) employees who own EVs?

First of all, infrastructure comes first, so just by virtue of providing the EVSE many employers have seen an increase in EV adoption among their employees. According to a DOE survey, “employees of Challenge partners are six times more likely to drive an EV than the average worker.” Zappos, a shoe and apparel company, installed four level 2 chargers when zero employees owned EVs, and within a year five people had bought EVs. The program clearly demonstrates that the ability to charge your car at work spurs EV adoption.

There are also direct, though usually non-monetary, benefits for employers. Of course employers could charge for the electricity used, but most have provided the electricity for free and been very satisfied (recent partner feedback data indicate that employees are roughly just as likely to utilize workplace charging, whether the employer provides it free or not). The ability to charge your car at work is a great amenity, and when firms are hiring and competing for the best applicants for jobs, EVSE stations have been a major factor in many prospective employees’ decisions to work with a company. It not only helps with recruitment, but also employee retention. Satisfied employees tend to stay at their jobs longer, and anyone who’s worked in HR or management will immediately recognize the financial benefits of reduced turnover.

Beyond just the image to employees and potential hires, workplace charging presents a public image of the company as a cutting edge leader, furthering their environmental commitments and sustainability goals, and can be counted toward LEED points. The benefits for the employees, the firm, and society in general are numerous, and most importantly further the trend toward cleaner, more sustainable transportation.

What are the benefits of becoming a Partner in the Challenge?

In addition to the benefits of having installed EV charging for your employees, joining the Challenge gives employers access to:

  • Informational resources and technical assistance
  • Access to a sharing network of partners and their best practices
  • Peer-to-peer exchange at workplace charging events
  • Support from Challenge ambassador organizations
  • Public recognition of successes

So where are we with the Workplace Charging Challenge?

The goal is to have 500 Challenge partners by 2018, and to date we are more than halfway there with over 260 partners. The DOE just recently released a mid-program update here, if you want to learn more. Partner organizations range widely from tech companies and manufacturers to utilities and universities.

Closer to home, we have been able to identify several firms in the region who are already taking steps toward providing charging for their employees, and we look forward to partnering with them and giving recognition for their work. Just as important, we are working with several others who are interested in the benefits of workplace charging and want to work with us to start the process of installing EVSE and getting EVs everywhere!

Biodiesel FAQs

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Biodiesel FAQs Blog
As the regional designee of the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program, the Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities aims to reduce petroleum consumption within the local transportation sector by promoting a host of alternative fuels, including electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, natural gas, propane, and biodiesel. While each alt fuel has its own place in our ultimate, petroleum-free fuel mix, selecting the most appropriate fuel can be a daunting task. One easy place to start, however, is with diesel vehicles. Blends of up to 20% biodiesel, called B20 (20% biodiesel and 80% conventional diesel), can be used as drop-in fuels in most diesel vehicles without modification, making this locally-available renewable fuel easy to incorporate into personal, commercial, or municipal diesel vehicles.

What Is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a renewable substitute for petroleum diesel that operates in compression-ignition engines. It burns more cleanly than conventional diesel and can be produced domestically from vegetable oils, animal tallow, and restaurants’ used fry oil, which helps to expand markets for the country’s farmers.biodiesel in green barrels

What Are the Advantages to Biodiesel?
Biodiesel has a variety of benefits over conventional diesel; it is renewable, domestically produced, safer, and has fewer pollutants and GHG emissions.

Energy Security
Because biodiesel is derived from vegetable oil, animal tallow, or waste fry oil, it can be produced domestically, offsetting oil imports from politically unstable countries.

Market Security
Petroleum markets have a significant amount of volatility, making diesel prices unpredictable. Biodiesel mixes help to balance diesel prices, making them more reliable.

Air Quality Improvements
Biodiesel emissions meet the same standards as petroleum diesel. With exhaust aftertreatment, often selective catalytic reduction, NOx emissions are reduced to extremely low levels, comparable to conventional fuels.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Because biodiesel is renewably produced from plant or animal sources, it releases fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum, or fossil, diesel. In fact, operating a vehicle on pure biodiesel, B100, reduces emissions by 75%, while B20 still reduces emissions by a significant 15%.

Safety
Biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable. It has a higher flashpoint than conventional diesel, which makes it safer to handle, store, and transport.

For more information on the benefits of biodiesel, please visit the AFDC.

Can My Vehicle Run on Biodiesel?
Most major diesel engine manufacturers have formally endorsed the use biodiesel up to B20 by writing its compliance into their equipment warranties. An extensive list of diesel vehicles warrantied at different blend levels can be found here. Additionally, blends of up to 5% biodiesel (B5) meet the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Material) standards for diesel fuel and don’t require any special considerations.Biodiesel_Mercedes
Copy of PakkanenHow Does Biodiesel Perform? Even in the Cold?
In diesel engines, biodiesel blends operate nearly identically to petroleum diesel. Blends of biodiesel as low as 1% even help to improve fuel lubricity, reducing wear and tear on the engine. With regard to horsepower, torque, and mileage, B20 achieves similar levels to those of diesel. Even in freezing temperatures, biodiesel blends can be used as long as they have been treated with the appropriate additives by their manufacturer. For more information about biodiesel in freezing temperatures, check out the Cold Weather Guide from Biodiesel®.

Where Can I Find Biodiesel & How Much Does It Cost?
Biodiesel is publicly available in Jackson at Pump #5 of the Shell station on Broadway. Generally, they offer B20 from mid-April to mid-September and B10 in the colder months. They supply BQ9000, the highest quality biodiesel available, and despite a 5 year Rocky Mountain average price 20¢/DGE higher than those of conventional diesel(Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report), Shell’s B20 prices are  currently equal to that of conventional diesel . For real time availability of biodiesel throughout the country, check the AFDC Station Locator .

BD_Map

Are There Potential Complications?
Unlike conventional diesel, biodiesel is a strong solvent and acts as a cleaning agent. As such, it may dissolve and dislodge any petroleum deposits that have accumulated from conventional diesel use and flush this residual diesel gunk into fuel filters. Therefore, filters should be checked often during the transition period to biodiesel and replaced when necessary. Because this maintenance can be relatively labor and and time intensive, it is not recommended to switch back and forth between biodiesel blends and 100% conventional diesel.

Who Else Is Using Biodiesel?

  • EcoTour Adventures fuels all vehicles with Shell’s biodiesel
  • JHMR fuels all Snow Cat groomers with B10
  • Idaho National Lab fuels almost 100 transit buses with B20 year round