Meet the Speakers for our Fall Stakeholder Meeting, Thursday, October 7th
Check back as we’ll be updating daily with new speaker highlights.
Electric Vehicles Roadmap Initiative Special Report
The Western Governor’s Association released their Special Report of the Electric Vehicles Roadmap Initiative. This report contains targeted recommendations on federal policy issues that affect public and private investments in EV infrastructure across the West. It also includes an umbrella agreement among states around a shared set of principles regarding EV infrastructure planning and identified a suite of voluntary standards to optimize public and private EV infrastructure investments.
YTCC is proud to have partnered on this initiative!
Electric Vehicle Experience Program Launches
Lower Valley Energy Launches ‘Electric Vehicle Experience’ Program with Local Partners
Lower Valley Energy launches ‘Electric Vehicle Experience Program’ with partners, Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities, Energy Conservation Works and Teton Conservation District allowing co-op members to borrow an electric vehicle for 1-3 days to determine if an electric vehicle fits their daily driving needs. Live Streamed ribbon cutting, Thursday, September 9th at 1:00pm.
Jackson, WY | September 2nd— Have you wanted to test drive an electric vehicle (EV) but haven’t had the opportunity? Now is your chance! Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities (YTCC) was awarded a grant from Teton Conservation District to offer the EV Experience program, allowing Lower Valley Energy co-op members to test-drive an electric vehicle for free, to learn about the technology and determine if an electric vehicle fits their daily driving needs. YTCC partnered with Lower Valley Energy to host and develop the program as well as Energy Conservation Works to support program development and marketing efforts. Currently dealerships in Jackson and surrounding areas seldom have electric vehicles on the lot available for test-drives, therefore this program was developed to provide access to those interested in testing an electric vehicle.
There are many questions a consumer rightfully has when considering purchasing an electric vehicle. Can I charge at home? How far can an electric vehicle go before I need to charge? Will there be charging stations located where I need them along my route? Is there anything tricky about driving an electric vehicle? How does it handle mountainous terrain? The EV Experience will help answer these frequent questions, through first-hand experience.
“YTCC has provided electric vehicle education and awareness programs since 2012 but the missing piece has always been the ability for folks to get behind the wheel and simply take an electric vehicle for a spin. These test drives help provide the answer to many of the questions a potential EV owner may have. We’re very excited to help provide this resource to our community,” states Alicia Cox, Executive Director of Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities.
“As the local electricity provider, we are excited to participate in this program to help educate our membership on the benefits of electric vehicles,” says Amy Walton, Conservation Manager at Lower Valley Energy.
This free program allows individuals 1-3 days to try the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt with a range of over 250 miles and free charging at numerous stations provided by the Town of Jackson, Teton County, Teton Village Association and local businesses. This iteration of the program will run for 3 years.
“We are very excited to work with our great partners to offer LVE members access to an EV to see how it fits the Jackson lifestyle,’ added Phil Cameron, Executive Director of Energy Conservation Works. ‘We know these vehicles cost less to operate, and with our clean electricity mix, drastically reduce emissions. We’re excited to give more community members a chance to get behind the wheel!”
We are in the midst of an electric vehicle boom with almost every major car manufacturer having made aggressive and financially significant electric vehicle production targets. There are currently 26 all-electric models and 44 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle models on the market. Starting this fall, light-duty pick-up trucks, a vehicle segment of particular interest to our mountainous area, could be available. The roll-out of the electrified version of the United States’ best selling vehicle, the F-150 Lightning, as well as trucks from GM and others, begin spring of 2022, with Rivian slated for truck deliveries this month.
In the United States, transportation is the largest greenhouse gas-emitting sector, with 29% of all greenhouse gas emissions attributed to transportation. Of that amount, 58% of all transportation emissions result from light-duty vehicles. Locally, 65% of our emissions are attributed to ground transportation. Driving an electric vehicle in Teton County reduces lifetime emissions by 96% with Lower Valley Energy’s clean electrical grid-mix and reduces tailpipe emissions to zero. And if you choose to purchase Green Power through Lower Valley Energy, your total emissions reduce to zero.
This program is an excellent example of community partnerships, including those who have worked to offer this specific program but also the Town of Jackson, Teton County, Teton Village Association and local businesses who have invested in electric vehicle charging station infrastructure in this community, allowing for a program such as this to be successful.
Project partners will host a virtual ribbon cutting on Thursday, September 9th at 1:00pm. The program will be live streamed from Lower Valley Energy’s Jackson office. Please join the livestream by visiting Energy Conservation Works’ facebook page.
If you are interested in signing up for the program visit Lower Valley’s website at lvenergy.com. If you are interested in purchasing an electric vehicle or other alternative fuels and would like supportive information and resources, please reach out to Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities staff.
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Lower Valley Energy is the rural electrical cooperative serving Teton County and Lincoln County, WY.
Energy Conservation Works is a joint powers board formed between the Town of Jackson, Teton County, Lower Valley Energy and offers leadership, engagement, and implementation specific to energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy and emission reductions.
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.
Grand Teton National Park deploys CNG refuse truck
GTNP Receives a Compressed Natural Gas Refuse Truck
Join Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the new CNG refuse truck
Jackson, WY | June 28, 2021 — Join Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Works for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the compressed natural gas (CNG) refuse truck that Grand Teton National Park has received through the state of Wyoming Volkswagen Settlement funds program.
- Event: The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on June 30th from 3-5 pm at Lower Valley Energy at the local CNG charging station. Ribbon cutting celebration from 3-3:30 pm; networking from 3:30pm-4:00pm and CNG workshop from 4:00pm-5:00pm. The workshop will provide information for individuals and businesses interested in purchasing and operating CNG vehicles.
“We would like to congratulate Grand Teton National Park on the introduction of a CNG refuse truck into their fleet, which will provide cost savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions for park operations. We would also like to thank the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for providing the funding for alternative fuel vehicles in Wyoming through the Wyoming Volkswagen Settlement funds program,” Alicia Cox, Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities Executive Director.
Grand Teton National Park’s purchase of a CNG refuse truck is the perfect example of selecting an alternative fuel based on a vehicle’s application, as the CNG station at Lower Valley Energy is directly along the refuse truck’s route to the landfill, it is seamless to refuel Grand Teton National Park’s new CNG refuse truck. Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s program helps fund the replacement of class 4 and above diesel vehicles with newer alternative fuel or diesel vehicles.
“We’re excited that another fleet can benefit from the cost savings and emissions reductions from fueling with CNG at the Jackson Station”, said Phil Cameron, Executive Director of Energy Conservation Works.
CNG is available locally at Lower Valley Energy, 4000 S HWY 89 in Jackson. It is currently available for $1.80 per gasoline gallon equivalent, offering significant savings to vehicle owners. The Wyoming Business Council, Town of Jackson, and Teton County partnered with Lower Valley Energy to locate and construct the station there.
Clean Cities advances the nation’s environmental, economic, and energy security by supporting local actions to reduce petroleum use in transportation. Clean Cities is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program.
Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities works to displace the use of petroleum and increase energy security and sustainability through the promotion of alternative fuels and vehicles in the Greater Yellowstone region.
Learn more about Clean Cities at cleancities.energy.gov, and learn how to get involved with the Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities coalition at www.ytcleancities.org.
EV Ride and Drive with Johnny Ziem with the Town of Jackson
Follow along as Johnny Ziem with the Town of Jackson shows off the Chevy Bolt he drives for work and explains the vehicle specs, what he likes best about the Bolt, and where you can charge in Jackson, WY.
Click HERE to watch the video on YTCC’s youtube channel.
EcoFair Challenge 2021
This year we are partnering with EcoFair host, Energy Conservation Works, and other sustainability partners to host the first annual EcoFair Challenge! We collaborated to curate a list of challenges to inspire our community to take action, sustaining the spirit of the EcoFair since we won’t convene at an in-person event this year. These challenges involve simple, attainable, and impactful choices each of us can make.
Take on the challenges and win cool things! Challenges range from everyday activities (biking, walking, or taking the bus), weekly activities (dropping off food compost), or bigger commitments (signing up for Green Power)! Each challenge has a point value based on the difficulty, cost, and impact. Winners will be chosen each week, through raffle drawing and/or accumulated points for that week.
The challenges related to transportation are:
- Bike, Bus, or Walk to work or on errands – 1 point/day
- 1 bonus point for Proterra
- Idle free for less than 30 sec – 1 point/day
- For EV Owners, charge at local charging site – 5 points/charge
- Join START Bike (10 pts)
- Offset travel (air or road) through The Good Traveller Program – 15 points
Check out the full list of challenges at bit.ly/jhecochallenge, and log your points on the Google Form: bit.ly/ecochallengelog. Weekly winners will be announced at our EcoTalk series at 6 pm on Tuesday. Visit the EcoFair Facebook page for details on how to attend the event: https://www.facebook.com/jacksonecofair.
The EcoFair Challenge was made possible by collaboration from Avant Delivery, Energy Conservation Works, Hole Food Rescue, Jackson Hole Airport, Slow Food in the Tetons, START Bus, Teton Conservation District, Teton County Integrated Solid Waste & Recycling, The Riverwind Foundation & Yellowstone-Teton Clean CIties.
Summer 2021 Intern Position Available
Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for an intern from Summer 2021. The intern program is through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities University Workforce Development Program (CCUWDP). This summer, CCUWDP is offering 40 workforce development program positions across the nation and applications are now available. This is a wonderful opportunity for students looking to gain experience in the energy and transportation areas. Please pass this information along to anyone you know who may be interested in one of these positions. Applications can be found at https://www.cvent.com/d/zjqf1x with more information below. Applications are due May 17, 2021. If you have any questions, please email alicia@ytcleancities.org.
Specific Details:
– Positions are 30 or 40 hours/week (determined by the coalition) for 10 weeks
– Summer 2021 Internship Approximate Dates: June 14, 2021- August 27, 2021
– Stipends range from $3,600 – $6,000 depending on academic level and number of hours assigned by the coalition.
– Must be a current undergraduate (Junior or Senior only), graduate student, or up to one year past graduation
NEW GREEN MATTERS Release – Winter/Spring 2021
The newest issue of Green Matters in Jackson Hole is live and online, CLICK HERE! Please enjoy the news from this season’s sustainability projects, programs, and people. Sample topics from this issue include the principles of sustainable destination management, details on the next chapter of the RRR Business Leaders (2.0), resource recovery through JH Public Art, an update from the JH Climate Action Collective, guidance on bear-proof trash cans, and lots of announcements from local green leaders and organizations.
Congratulations to the 2020 U.S. C3E Award Recipients
Join us in congratulating Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities board member and Sustainability Program Manager for the City of Bozeman. This year, Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E), US Department of Energy Program, selected Natalie Meyer of Bozeman, Montana, as the award winner in the Government category. https://www.c3eawards.org/
START BUS UNVEILS 8 ELECTRIC PROTERRA BUSES TO SERVE THE TETON VILLAGE ROUTE
JACKSON, WYO. – START Bus and Proterra, a leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, unveiled the community’s first of eight Proterra® ZX5 battery-electric transit buses. They are the first battery-electric buses in Wyoming and first Proterra ZX5 buses to be deployed in the United States.
START Bus will put the buses into service in late November. START hosted Proterra representatives for a small ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 12. Due to COVID-19, it was not a public event. For the public to join in the fun, next Thursday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities will host a webinar with Proterra representatives sharing specifics about the e-bus deployment in Teton County and the premiere of a video about the project. Look for Zoom details through Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities.
Darren Brugmann START Director notes, “START Bus and the Town of Jackson are thrilled to add battery-electric buses to our fleet. These buses will provide cost effective, clean, efficient transportation, and help START reduce emissions to improve air quality. START is committed to transitioning 40% of its fleet to electric by 2022 and deploying these first eight buses is a major step toward that goal.”
START selected the 40-foot Proterra ZX5 MAX battery-electric transit bus with 660 kWh of onboard energy and the DuoPower™ drivetrain.
Just available in September, the Proterra ZX5 MAX can deliver up to 329 miles of drive range, which represents the most energy storage and longest drive range of any 40-foot electric bus available in the market today.
The DuoPower drivetrain delivers nearly twice the horsepower and five times better fuel efficiency than a standard diesel engine. It features two electric motors that deliver an impressive 550 horsepower, accelerating a ZX5 bus from 0 to 20 mph in under six seconds.
In addition, the DuoPower can propel a bus up a 25% grade, making it an ideal option for routes with steep hills. By combining this drivetrain with Proterra’s industry-leading battery technology and lightweight composite bus body, this vehicle provides superior performance and is designed to tackle Jackson’s routes and winter climate.
START utilized Proterra’s battery lease program to help lower the upfront price of their buses and ensure funding to deploy eight at once, representing one-third of START’s total fleet.
“Proterra is excited to partner with START to bring the first battery-electric transit buses to Wyoming and deliver clean, quiet transportation to local riders,” said John Walsh, Proterra’s Senior Vice President.
Manufactured in the United States, Proterra battery-electric buses feature zero tailpipe emissions, saving approximately 230,000 pounds of greenhouse gases annually when replacing diesel buses. The purpose-built electric buses further offer a quieter ride for reduced noise pollution, greater efficiency, and lower operating costs than combustion engine vehicles.
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About START
START Bus is a public transit system serving Jackson and Teton County, Wyoming, and nearby areas including Teton Village, Star Valley and Teton Valley, Idaho. It is owned and operated by the Town of Jackson.
About Proterra
Proterra is a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission, heavy-duty electric vehicles, enabling bus fleet operators to significantly reduce operating costs while delivering clean, quiet transportation to local communities across North America. The company’s configurable ZX5 platform is designed to serve the daily mileage needs of a wide range of transit routes on a single charge. With industry-leading durability and energy efficiency based on rigorous U.S. independent testing, Proterra products are proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in America. For more information, visit: www.proterra.com.
Source: Town of Jackson, WY