Richmond, Va. – March 26, 2015 – Today, alternative fuel vehicles of all types drove across the Commonwealth to converge on the Richmond International Raceway (RIR). Virginia Clean Cities and its partners are hosting their second annual alternative fuel vehicles rally for the Commonwealth. The event included the inaugural delivery of the Governor’s Green Fleet Awards, a State of the Alternative Fuel Industry in the Commonwealth Address and the first-ever alternative fuel vehicle ride & drive on the raceway track. There was a large volume of alternative fuel vehicles available.
The Governor’s Green Fleet Awards are meant to recognize successes and achievements of green fleets across the Commonwealth in areas of greenhouse gas reduction, petroleum reduction and leadership in advancing alternative fuel vehicles. The recommendation to establish Governor’s Green Fleet Awards was detailed in the 2014 Virginia Energy Plan developed by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Virginia Clean Cities and the Governor’s Virginia Energy Council among others.
This year’s award recipients were the following:
• Governor’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award: Supervalu
• Governor’s Petroleum Reduction Award: Dominion Resources
• Governor’s Green Fleet of the Year Awards: Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC)
Among other alternative fuel projects, Virginia Clean Cities managed the largest propane autogas deployment project in U.S. history with a government partner- converting over 1,189 vehicles to propane across Virginia and the Southeast. Virginia Clean Cities also managed the Commonwealth’s electric vehicle deployment planning through the Richmond Electric Vehicle Initiative as well as working groups for other alternative fuels such as CNG and propane.
As part of today’s program, Virginia Clean Cities announced the latest alternative fuel fleet vehicle numbers in the Commonwealth including 24,642 alternative fuel vehicles in 100 fleets. Virginia Clean Cities also announced that there are currently 431 alternative fuel stations in Virginia. Alternative fuel vehicles include hybrids and vehicles fueled by electricity, propane, CNG, E85 and biodiesel. Finally, Virginia Clean Cities announced that 16.8 million gallons of petroleum have been displaced from usage of these alternative fuels as well as 95,000 ton of greenhouse gases.
“The key to Virginia Clean Cities’ enduring success over two decades is the coalition’s proven ability to build relationships,” said Alleyn Harned, Executive Director of Virginia Clean Cities. “Through the coalition, stakeholders learn from one another’s experiences, replicate past successes, and work together on projects and events. This kind of collaboration creates economies of scale for alternative fuels and tipping points of demand for advanced vehicles, so petroleum is no longer the only game in town. We are very excited to be at RIR today to celebrate and acknowledge successes in this sector.”
Clean Cities advances the nation’s environmental, economic, and energy security by supporting local actions to cut petroleum use in transportation. A national network of nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions brings together stakeholders in the public and private sectors to deploy alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, and new transportation technologies as they emerge.
“I want to thank Virginia Clean Cities for supporting local efforts to advance alternative energy sources. Public-private partnerships like Virginia Clean Cities are essential in advancing our energy, economic, and environmental security. I will continue to work in the Senate to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and increase investments in new technologies that reduce harmful emissions that contribute to climate change,” Senator Warner said.
About Virginia Clean Cities
Virginia Clean Cities is a regional nonprofit organization advancing our energy, economic, and environmental security through petroleum reduction and clean transportation. Virginia Clean Cities is a state and federally recognized coalition of stakeholders staffed in partnership with James Madison University. The coalition operates dozens of domestic fuel and environmental education and deployment projects for federal, state, agencies and private partners. To learn more, please visit www.vacleancities.org.
Additional photographs are available online at www.vaceancities.org.
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