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| News and Events: Technical Assistance, Incentives, and Funding Opportunities:
Upcoming Events and Activities: Resources and Guides:
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| TDEC Now Accepting Nominations for the 2018 Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards The Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards recognize outstanding initiatives within the State of Tennessee to reduce transportation-related energy and emissions, in line with an overarching effort to save natural resources, improve the health and well-being of Tennesseans, and create efficiencies in the delivery of goods and services. For more information about the Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards, visit the website at https://www.tn.gov/environment/TSTA. To access the 2018 application, click here. The deadline to submit nominations is May 31, 2018.
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| CARTA Recognized by Smart 50 Awards for Green Commuter EV Car-Share Program In September 2016, the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) launched one of the first electric vehicle (EV) car-share programs in the U.S. Backed by a $3 million grant from TVA, CARTA contracted with Los Angeles startup Green Commuter to equip 20 Nissan Leaf EVs for public rental by the hour with a smart phone app. CARTA employed ChargePoint to install additional EV charging stations across the City to accommodate this rental fleet. CARTA also employed EPB to add solar panels at select EV charging stations to generate clean, renewable power for the EV recharging. One year later, Philip Pugliese, a transportation system planner for CARTA, reports that the project has sparked demand for both further EV deployment and expanded EV charging infrastructure across Chattanooga. Pugliese also said that two charging stations are currently being built at new residential complexes in the City and that many workplaces are also interested in adding EV charging infrastructure to their premises. The transit agency is currently talking with other Tennessee cities like Nashville and Knoxville about how to replicate its vehicle electrification and car-sharing programs throughout the State. As a result of this work, CARTA is one of two Chattanooga-based entities to receive accolades in this year’s Smart 50 Awards, which recognize smart cities projects from around the world. The Smart 50 Awards are a partnership of Smart Cities Connect, Smart Cities Connect Foundation, and US Ignite to honor the most innovative and influential work in transportation innovation.
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| Transportation Management Association (TMA) Group Named One of the Best Workplaces for Commuters in 2018
Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC) is a membership program that provides qualified employers with national recognition and a designation for offering outstanding commuter benefits to their employees. To qualify, an employer must first offer at least one primary benefit, such as employer-paid, tax-free transit or vanpool passes; teleworking/telecommuting; or parking cash-out. An employer must also offer at least three secondary benefits, including but not limited to: shuttles to and from transit stations (provided directly by the employer or contracted through a service); ridesharing or carpool matching; preferred or reduced-cost parking for carpools and vanpools; and compressed work schedules. Finally, an employer must also offer access to an Emergency Ride Home (ERH), which provides participants with a ride at little to no cost if they need emergency transport home due to special circumstances. Awarded employers include Google, Mayo Clinic, IBM, DaVita, Kimley-Horn, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and more. BWC recently recognized the TMA Group of Franklin, TN, as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters in 2018 for offering exceptional commuter benefits. The TMA Group is a regional leader in customizing environmentally friendly, multimodal transportation solutions for employers and communities. The Group operates and manages VanStar, the regional commuter vanpool service; Franklin’s public transit service on behalf of the Franklin Transit Authority; and the Clean Air Partnership program. As part of the company’s comprehensive commuter benefits program, The TMA Group offers commuting options and support services such as vanpool and/or carpool matching; a compressed workweek program; participation in a regional air quality program; and operation of Franklin’s small urban public transit service. The TMA Group programs reduce commuting costs not only for its employees, but for all commuters by taking cars off the road and reducing traffic congestion.
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| Bitpartisan Budget Act of 2018 Extends Alternative Fuel and Infrastructure Tax Credits
On Friday, February 9, President Trump signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (H.R. 1892). Division D of the Act retroactively extends through December 31, 2017, many tax credits related to alternative fuel and infrastructure: - Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit. Section 40404 extends the tax credit for alternative fuel infrastructure. Fueling equipment for natural gas, propane, liquefied hydrogen, electricity, E85, and biodiesel are eligible for a tax credit of 30%, up to $30,000. Residential fueling equipment may receive a tax credit up to $1,000.
- Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit. Section 40415 extends the $0.50 per gallon tax credit for alternative fuels, including liquefied hydrogen.
- Alternative Fuel Mixture Excise Tax Credit. Section 40415 also extends the $0.50 per gallon tax credit for alternative fuel used to produce a mixture containing at least 0.1% gasoline, diesel, or kerosene. Alternative fuel blenders must be registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
- Biodiesel Income Tax Credit. Section 40407 extends the biodiesel income tax credit. A taxpayer that delivers unblended biodiesel (B100) into the tank of a vehicle may be eligible for a $1.00 per gallon of biodiesel, agri-biodiesel, or renewable diesel tax credit.
- Biodiesel Mixture Excise Tax Credit. Section 40407 also extends the $0.50 per gallon tax credit for biodiesel, agri-biodiesel, or renewable diesel used to produce a mixture containing at least 0.1% gasoline, diesel, or kerosene through. Alternative fuel blenders must be registered with the IRS.
- Fuel Cell Motor Vehicle Tax Credit. Section 40403 extends the $4,000 tax credit for the purchase of qualified light-duty fuel cell vehicles.
- Qualified Two-Wheeled Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Tax Credit. Section 40405 extends the two-wheeled plug-in electric drive motor vehicle tax credit. Qualified vehicles are eligible for a tax credit of 10% of the cost of the vehicle, up to $2,500.
- Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit. Section 40406 extends the tax credit for second generation biofuel producers. Second generation biofuel producers registered with the IRS may be eligible for a $1.01 per gallon of biodiesel tax credit.
- Second Generation Biofuel Production Property Depreciation Allowance. Section 40412 extends the 50% special depreciation allowance for second generation biofuel production plants.
The changes outlined above are effective immediately. To view the full text of the Bipartisan Budget Act, click here. Visit the Alternative Fuels Data Center Federal Laws and Incentives page for descriptions of each incentive.
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| U.S. DOE Will Use Supercomputers to Improve Transportation Energy Efficiency
U.S. DOE’s National Laboratories are home to 32 of the fastest supercomputers on Earth. Scientists and researchers at the national labs use these supercomputers to accelerate research by creating models from complex data sets. Now, two new Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) initiatives—High Performance Computing for Mobility (HPC4Mobility) and Big Data Solutions for Mobility—will utilize the computing capabilities of the national labs to find solutions to real-world transportation energy challenges. Read more about this story here.
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| TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, INCENTIVES, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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| Apply Now for the Second Round of the Tennessee Natural Gas and Propane Vehicle Grant Program
Funding: - $1,700,000 in remaining, unobligated funding from the first round of the Tennessee Natural Gas and Propane Vehicle Grant Program will be available under the second round of this competitive funding opportunity.
- Each grant will provide up to 70% of the incremental purchase cost or vehicle conversion of eligible vehicles, with a maximum grant of $25,000 for each eligible vehicle.
- The maximum amount that may be awarded to a grantee shall not exceed $250,000.
Eligibility: - A project must propose to receive funding for a minimum of one vehicle.
- Eligible vehicles must either (1) be purchased new, from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or OEM-authorized dealer or (2) be converted to run on natural gas or propane through an EPA-certified, after-market conversion.
- Vehicles must be registered within the State of Tennessee, unless the vehicle is to receive International Registration Plan (IRP) apportioned registration. In the case of the latter, the entity applying for a grant must submit a letter, certifying the percentage of time that the vehicle is expected to operate within the State of Tennessee.
- Eligible vehicles include dedicated compressed natural gas vehicles, dedicated liquefied natural gas vehicles, and dedicated propane-powered vehicles. Natural gas or propane-powered bi-fuel vehicles, or vehicles that are capable of operating on gasoline or diesel in addition to natural gas or propane, shall be eligible for emergency response vehicles only. (All bi-fuel vehicles will be required to utilize either natural gas or propane for no less than 75% of the vehicle's fuel use for a period of no less than five years. The grant amount available to bi-fuel vehicles will be 75% that of dedicated vehicles. Bi-fuel vehicles will therefore only be eligible to receive no more than 52.5% of the conversion or incremental purchase cost, up to $25,000 for each eligible vehicle.)
- Light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles will be considered eligible, as there will be no gross vehicle weight restrictions or requirements.
- Applicants must intend to maintain operations in Tennessee for a minimum of six years.
Deadline to Submit: Applications must be received by 8:00 pm CST on March 15, 2018. Awards are expected to be announced by April 15, 2018, and the expected timeframe for award negotiations will be June 2018.
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| 2018 Transit IDEA Program Now Accepting Proposals
The Transit IDEA Program is part of the Transit Cooperative Research Program, a cooperative effort of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Transportation Research Board (TRB), and the Transit Development Corporation (a nonprofit educational and research organization of the American Public Transportation Association), and provides start-up funding for new innovations in transit systems. A new round of funding for 2018 has been announced by TRB, and applications are currently being accepted. The Transit IDEA Panel has established four high-priority focus areas to encourage proposals in the following areas: - Increasing transit ridership
- Improving transit safety, security, and emergency preparedness
- Improving transit capital and operating efficiencies
- Protecting the environment and promoting energy independence
The Transit IDEA Panel reviews proposals twice a year, and the deadlines for submitting proposals to these review cycles are May 1 and November 1, annually. Suggested research areas, proposal evaluation criteria, and the forms for submitting proposals can be found here.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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| Webinar: Improving the Resilience of Transit Systems Threatened by Natural Disasters
The research also provides "how to" steps to help transit agencies and others improve their resilience. Transit agencies across the U.S. face a multitude of threats from extreme weather and natural disasters. Ensuring that transit infrastructure and services are resilient to these threats is critical. This webinar will include presentations by several transit agencies featured in the guide. The presenters will provide first-hand accounts of their experiences and lessons learned as they implemented resilience strategies and projects. There is no fee to attend this webinar. Sign into MyTRB.org to view registration information. Contact Reggie Gillum at RGillum@nas.edu with questions regarding the webinar.
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| Webinar: Modeling the Relationship Between Vehicle Speed and Fuel Consumption
TRB will conduct a webinar on March 14 at 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET that explores the relationship between vehicle speed and fuel economy as investigated by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This webinar will describe how to simulate real-world vehicle operations using driving cycles in order to improve vehicle operating cost estimations. Presenters from the University of Nevada and the Nevada Automotive Test Center will discuss how vehicle speeds and fuel economy were modeled within an array of vehicle types, traffic conditions, and road properties. Sign into MyTRB.org to view registration information. Contact Reggie Gillum at RGillum@nas.edu with questions regarding the webinar.
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| Intersections Conference: Creating Culturally Complete Streets
The National Complete Streets Coalition and Transportation for America’s Arts & Culture will convene the second national Complete Streets Conference at the Nashville Music City Center from April 3-4, 2018. A Complete Streets approach integrates people and place in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation networks. This helps to ensure that streets are safe for people of all ages and abilities, balance the needs of different modes, and support local land uses, economies, cultures, and natural environments. The conference features mobile workshops, interactive panels, and breakout discussions about cutting-edge Complete Streets and placemaking research, ideas, and practices. The conference will also be an opportunity to meet fellow advocates and practitioners from across the country. Register for the conference here.
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| ACEEE Releases Greenest Vehicles List
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently released its 21st annual GreenerCars vehicle ratings to help consumers learn about the state-of-the-art, low-emissions vehicles available to them in today’s automotive market. Ten clean vehicles make up the Greenest List for 2018, representing the most environmentally friendly cars for sale today. Each car is given a Green Score based on an environmental damage index (EDX), which reflects the cost to human health from air pollution associated with vehicle manufacturing, the production and distribution of fuel, and vehicle tailpipe emissions. Every highest-performing vehicle on the market recognized in the newest list is a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV), plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV), or hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV). Visit GreenerCars.org to view the new ratings.
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| Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 36
The Transportation Energy Data Book (TEDB) is a compendium of data on transportation with an emphasis on energy, emissions, and alternative fuels. The TEDB is produced by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the U.S. DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office. Designed for use as a desktop reference, the TEDB was first published in 1976 and has continued to be updated since. TEDB provides statistics and data on a variety of transportation, vehicle class, and alternative fuels activities and can be accessed on ORNL’s website.
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| State Energy Data System Updated for 2016 Fuel Consumption
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) maintains the State Energy Data System (SEDS), which provides annual state-level estimates of energy production, consumption, prices, and expenditures by sector and energy source. SEDS’s 2016 estimates of consumption, prices, and expenditures of motor and aviation gasoline, as well as fuel ethanol consumption, are now available at the SEDS Updates website. Motor gasoline estimates are calculated for motor gasoline the way it is sold, with fuel ethanol included. Estimates for fuel ethanol consumption are separately compiled to facilitate analysis by primary energy source. Because of differences in data sources and estimation methods, the ratio of fuel ethanol consumption and motor gasoline consumption should not be interpreted as the average ethanol blend rate. Data highlights for 2016 include the following: - U.S. consumption of motor gasoline totaled 17 quadrillion Btu, a 2% increase from 2015. The top consuming states were California, Texas, and Florida.
- U.S. consumption of fuel ethanol equaled 1.2 quadrillion Btu, a 3% increase from 2015.
- Prices of motor gasoline averaged $18.03 per million Btu in the United States, an 11% decrease from 2015. Prices were highest in Alaska, Hawaii, and California and lowest in Alabama, Texas, and Mississippi. Price estimates for motor gasoline include federal and state motor fuel taxes, but not local fuel taxes or state and local sales taxes.
- U.S. consumption of aviation gasoline was 20 trillion Btu, a 3% decrease from 2015. The price of aviation gasoline in the United States averaged $21.62 per million Btu, a 13% decrease from 2015.
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| Three Electric Vehicle Reports
1) NC Clean Energy Technology Center Launches EV Report Series The NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) has launched a new series of reports, The 50 States of Electric Vehicles (EVs) . The new series, which will take the form of quarterly reports, provides insights on state regulatory and legislative discussions and actions that relate to EVs. A special 2017 Annual Review found that 43 states and the District of Columbia took some type of action designed to impact EV adoption during 2017. A total of 227 state and utility-level actions were proposed, pending, or decided throughout the year: - 34 states considered or adopted changes to the regulation of EVs.
- 21 states took action to study or investigate EVs.
- 20 states considered or approved new incentive programs, or changes to existing incentive programs.
- Utilities or legislatures in 18 states took action related to charging infrastructure.
- Utilities or legislatures in 14 states considered new utility rates, or changes to existing rates, for EV charging.
2) Strategies for Integrating EVs into the Grid ACEEE recently released a report that examines how utilities and other stakeholders are planning for EV growth in ways that benefit local economies and environments. The report focuses on five categories of utility strategies: rate design, smart charging, charging station investment and ownership, vehicle purchase incentives, and coordination with state and local efforts. To provide insight into these strategies, the report includes case studies of three utilities that have implemented multifaceted EV integration plans: Southern California Edison, Indianapolis Power & Light, and Georgia Power Company. Learn more about the report here. 3) Effects of Battery Manufacturing on Electric Vehicle Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has released a briefing that reviews recent research about greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries for EVs. This report analyzes the life-cycle emissions of EVs as compared to conventional internal combustion vehicles in Europe. It also considers the primary drivers of battery manufacturing emissions and how they might be mitigated. View the report here.
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| Transportation Research (TR) News: Transportation Systems Resilience The full edition of the September-October 2017 TR News magazine is now available. This issue focuses on transportation systems resilience in all corners of the United States. Authors describe lessons learned in planning, engineering, and operations management with regards to resilience; discuss supply chain business continuity; identify techniques for evacuation and emergency transportation; examine the role of social capital in transportation; and examine how to think about resiliency in future research endeavors. Many of the resiliency actions considered in the magazine include the use of alternative fuels or sustainable transportation and infrastructure adoption. The magazine is published by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and features timely articles on innovative and state-of-the-art research and practice in all modes of transportation. It also includes brief news items of interest to the transportation community, articles that profile transportation professionals, workshop and conference announcements, new book notices, and news of TRB activities. Submissions of manuscripts for possible publication are accepted at any time. View the September-October 2017 issue here.
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