UCCC 2015 Annual Report Survey

Dear UCCC Stakeholders,

Utah Clean Cities Coalition would like to wish you and your families a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

We have big plans for 2016 and we look forward to working with you on many new and exciting initiatives! While we are rolling out the groundwork for those projects, we are also in the process of reporting on our progress in 2015. Please help us complete our Annual AFV and Alternative Fuel Use Report.

Each year UCCC collects data on alternative fuel (AF) and advanced technology vehicle (AFV) usage in Utah (see below for 2014 results). This data helps us quantify the success of our programs and our stakeholder's efforts to reduce the regions dependence on petroleum imports. This information also gives us insights into the local AFV market, allowing us to make informed decisions on how best to direct our efforts in the coming year. Last but certainly not least, this data is a significant help when competing for grants, which help bring funding and other resources into our region.

Please use the excel survey below to tell us what your company/fleet has done to reduce petroleum consumption in Utah in the 2015 calendar year. Remember, the more information you can provide the better our report will be!
                                                                                                                               
To download the survey and/or survey instructions click on the images below (if they do not show up in the new browser, refresh the page). Once in full screen mode, click on the download icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen, and save file to your computer. Please read instructions carefully, complete, and return via email to irene.rizza@utahcleancities.org by February 16th 2016.

 Thank you for your participation and for helping us advance our mission of energy, economic and environmental security!

INSTRUCTIONS

SURVEY

2014 Survey Results

December 2015 Federal Alt Fuel Legislation Overview

December was a busy month on Capital Hill. On Friday, December 4^th, President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, (Public Law 114-94). The FAST Act, like prior surface transportation legislation, authorizes funds for highway construction, as well as highway safety and public transportation programs. Two weeks later, on December 18th, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 was signed into law, as part of the $1.15 trillion omnibus spending package to fund the federal government through October 2016. Included with these appropriations are tax provisions that will retroactively extend several alternative fuel tax credits that expired in 2014, from Jan. 1, 2015, through Dec. 31, 2016. Both pieces of legislation contained critical provisions for the alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle industry. 

  

FAST Act provisions with implications for Clean Cities portfolio items:

• National Electric Vehicle Charging and Alternative Fuel Station Corridors. Section 1413 of the bill charges the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) with designating national plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling corridors in strategic locations along major highways by December 2016. DOT will update and re-designate the corridors every five years.

• PEV Charging on Federal Property. Section 1413 also explicitly authorizes the U.S. General Services Administration or other federal agencies to install electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) that may be used by federal employees and certain others to charge their privately-owned vehicles. Those who use the EVSE to charge vehicles must pay to reimburse the agencies for the EVSE procurement, installation, and maintenance.

• State High Occupancy Lane (HOV) Exemptions. Section 1411 extends the provisions related to HOV lane exemptions for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-certified low-emission and energy-efficient vehicles. Only alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and PEVs, however, may access HOV lanes toll-free through September 30, 2025. States are allowed to implement toll-access HOV programs for other low-emission and energy-efficient vehicles through September 30, 2019.

• Tire Fuel Efficiency Standards. Section 24331 states that DOT, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Energy will develop regulations for passenger car tire fuel efficiency standards by December 2017. Some exemptions apply, including light truck, snow, and spare tires.

• Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Economy Calculation. Section 24341 moves up to 2017, from 2020, when natural gas vehicle fuel economy calculation methodology (see 40 Code of Federal Regulations 600.510) will change. Model year 2017 and later vehicles will use the new calculation methodology to better align with the conventional vehicle fuel economy methodology update schedule.

PATH Act provisions with implications for Clean Cities portfolio items:

• Extension of excise tax credits relating to alternative fuels.Section 192 extends of the federal $0.50/gallon alternative fuels excise tax credit on compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), and and propane. However, according to Section 342, the excise tax credit equivalency for LNG and propane will be measured on on an energy-equivalent basis, rather than on a volumetric one. This provision will make the excise tax credit for LNG and propane used or sold after 2015 approximately $0.29/gallon and approximately $0.36/gallon, respectively.
  
• Extension of credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property. Section 182 extends the 30% alternative refueling infrastructure tax credit, which is capped at $30,000
  
• Extension of credit for new qualified fuel cell motor vehicles. Section 193 extends through 2016 the credit for purchases of new qualified fuel cell motor vehicles. The provision allows a credit of between $4,000 and $40,000 depending on the weight of the vehicle for the purchase of such vehicles.
  
• Extension of second generation biofuel producer credit. Section 184 extends through 2016 the credit for cellulosic biofuels producers.
  
• Extension of biodiesel and renewable diesel incentives. Section 185 extends through 2016 the existing $1.00 per gallon tax credit for biodiesel and biodiesel mixtures, and the small agri-biodiesel producer credit of 10 cents per gallon. The provision also extends through 2016 the $1.00 per gallon production tax credit for diesel fuel created from biomass. The provision extends through 2016 the fuel excise tax credit for biodiesel mixtures.
  
• Extension of special allowance for second generation biofuel plant property. Section 189 extends through 2016 the 50-percent bonus depreciation for cellulosic biofuel facilities.
  
• Extension of credit for 2-wheeled plug-in electric vehicles. Section 183 extends through 2016 the 10-percent credit for plug-in electric motorcycles and 2-wheeled vehicles (capped at $2,500).

To view the full text of the FAST Act, visit https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr22/BILLS-114hr22enr.pdf.

To view the full text of the PATH Act, visit http://waysandmeans.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PATH_Act_xml.pdf

In the News:

NGVAmerica Praises Congress for FAST

Federal Transportation Bill Carries Good News for NGVs

NGVAmerica applauds congress for highway bill's support of NVGs

U.S. Congress Passes Natural Gas Tax Credit Legislation

Congress Extends Federal Alternative Fuel Tax Credits

Industry Reacts to Tax Credit Extension for Alternative Fuels

December Question of the Month

Question of the Month: I heard the Clean Cities website was recently revamped. What changed?

Answer: As the work of Clean Cities continues to grow, the Clean Cities team is committed to ongoing communication about the program’s resources and accomplishments. Last month, Clean Cities launched a new and improved version of its website (https://cleancities.energy.gov/), which aims to highlight the program and assist the public and stakeholders.

The redesigned Clean Cities website has a fresh new look, is easy to navigate, and includes many new features to help users learn about and connect with the program.

Below are the top five changes you should know about the site: 

Reorganized Resources: Some resources have moved with the new design. Most notably, funding information (https://cleancities.energy.gov/funding-opportunities/) and publications (https://cleancities.energy.gov/publications/) are now located in the About section, which can be accessed from the top website banner. As before, funding opportunities are separated into current and related categories, and the easily searchable publications are listed by popularity and publish date. Information about Clean Cities partnerships, such as the National Clean Fleets Partnership and the National Parks Initiative, is now conveniently accessed from the Partnerships & Projects section, , which can also be accessed from the top website banner (https://cleancities.energy.gov/partnerships/).

Selective Communication Options: It’s easier than ever to stay up to date on Clean Cities. You can now subscribe to the newsletters and updates that you want – and choose to skip those you don’t! You can sign up to receive the Clean Cities Monthly Update, the Clean Cities Now Newsletter, or Webinar Alerts (https://cleancities.energy.gov/subscribe/). The “What’s Happening?” bar on the bottom of the homepage is another easy to way to catch up on the latest events, news, blog posts, and videos.

Searchable Clean Cities Projects: Under the Partnership & Projects section, which is accessed from the top website banner, users may now view and search Clean Cities funded transportation projects (https://cleancities.energy.gov/partnerships/search). You can search by keyword or filter by the initiative or award, such as projects under the National Parks Initiative, Electric Vehicle Community Readiness, or American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Project Awards. Project descriptions include basic information, states impacted, partners involved, the Clean Cities award amount, and the amount of local matching funds.

Audience-Tailored Content: The new website design clearly separates information for different audiences. While the old website combined resources for the public and resources for Clean Cities coordinators, the new design restricts public access to the Coordinator Toolbox (located in the upper right corner of the header). The new arrangement allows coordinators to find tools and resources specific to their coalition in one place using one password, as well as ensures that all other website content is useful for and tailored to the general public. Coordinators with questions about accessing the Toolbox may refer to recent Clean Cities communication and webinars.

Clean Cities On-the-Go: Lastly, the new design has an updated, clean aesthetic. From the newly organized coalition pages (https://cleancities.energy.gov/coalitions/) to the streamlined Technical Assistance page (https://cleancities.energy.gov/technical-assistance/), the website is intuitive and easy to read. As an added bonus, the new website is mobile-friendly and responsive, so you can access Clean Cities information wherever you go.

Visit the updated Clean Cities website to see all of these features and more!

Happy Holidays!

              

Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team

technicalresponse@icfi.com

800-254-6735