With the advent of new and improved fuel technology, more fleets are taking advantage of alternative fuels and creating greener, more sustainable fleets. But, despite their best efforts (finding alt-fuel vehicles, planning, and gaining leadership buy-in), fleets face a major roadblock: funding.
That’s where grants can help. Although there is certainly time and effort involved in going after grants and implementing programs, grant dollars can go a long way toward building a powerful sustainability program. The City of Riverside, Calif., is one such example.
Building a Well-Rounded Sustainability Program
Today, the City has nearly 300 light-, medium-, and heavy-duty dedicated units that run on a variety of alternative fuels, including propane autogas, compressed natural gas (CNG), electricity, and a hybrid of gasoline and electricity.
It also employs a number of all-electric vehicles, including 57 neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) used in parks, plant maintenance, central stores operations, power generation plants and substations, and six all-electric ZAP pickup trucks for operations in various City departments.
In addition to alt-fuel fleet units, the City has another highly successful enterprise: a publicly accessible alternative-fuel station that dispenses CNG, propane autogas, and hydrogen, and can charge electric vehicles. The station dispenses roughly 97,000 gallons of CNG per month.
Citywide Support & Grant Funds Fuel Growth
Much of the City’s success in establishing a large-scale green fleet is due, in part, to two major factors: citywide support of sustainable initiatives and grant funding.
The "Sustainable Riverside Policy" guides the City in becoming a "clean and green" city, and states that sustainability is a vital and necessary civic goal. Under this overarching vision is a clearly defined goal for the fleet: continue moving its fleet of vehicles to alternative energy, with the goal of limiting the use of gasoline-powered vehicles.
"Since the 1980s, Riverside and its community partners have actively and aggressively adopted programs focused on improving air quality," said Mayor Ronald Loveridge, who is also a long-time member of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). "But, especially in recent years, we have stepped up our efforts through dedicating resources and staff time to specific green initiatives. As such, Riverside has become a recognized leader as a model clean air city."
Building on the City’s support, the fleet’s commitment to greening its operations has also been supported by several grant wins. Since 2006, it has garnered more than $2.1 million in grant money. Some are from federal sources, including the Department of Energy (DOE), American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Carl Moyer Program, and the Equipment Replacement for Fleet Modernization – Heavy-Duty Trucks. The City also applied and won regional ARRA and DERA (Diesel Emission Reduction Act) funding by partnering with the Western Regional Council of Governments (WRCOG).
And, the City’s continued support was evident in the fleet’s Clean Transportation Funding win, which is part of the MSRC’s (Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee) Local Government Match Program. This program requires matching funds from the local government and a commitment on the City’s part to be awarded funds.
"Because Riverside chose a proactive approach to sustainability, we were able to take early advantage of grant incentives to clean the fleet," said Martin Bowman, fleet operations manager. "Grants for the fuel island and CNG fueling infrastructure, heavy-duty vehicles, off-road vehicles and other incentive funding have greatly reduced the overall cost of greening the fleet."
Topics: City of Riverside, CNG, Honda, sustainability
