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Illinois EPA Offers Funding Opportunity for Public EV Charging Infrastructure

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John J. Kim, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency director, says Round Two grants are available to fund the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure at publicly accessible locations. This opportunity is funded by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan and authorized under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). The Notice of Funding Opportunity and related documents have been posted to the Illinois EPA website.

“Illinois is leading the clean energy revolution, and my administration is building on our momentum by investing in public EV chargers across our state,” says Pritzker. “Thanks to our $44 million investment, public and private organizations will now be able to install and maintain the infrastructure we need to encourage more EV drivers.”

“Illinois EPA is excited to offer another funding opportunity, which extends eligibility to include units of local government and publicly available Level 2 charging ports,” says Kim. “This funding opportunity complements the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding being implemented through the Illinois Department of Transportation and will build on the Pritzker administration’s commitment to electric vehicle growth in Illinois.”

Each application must include a minimum of two publicly accessible charging station locations. See the Notice of Funding Opportunity for funding amounts, power levels and number of charging ports per location.

Additional points will be awarded to projects at a charging station location in an area identified as an Equity Investment Eligible Community through the EIEC mapping tool. Communities qualify for the additional points if they are in an EJ and/or an R3 Community, as identified using the EIEC mapping tool. Applicants will also receive additional points for applying to build chargers at public transportation park-and-ride facilities.

Eligible applicants include units of local government and private organizations (including sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies) that are incorporated under Illinois law and registered and in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State. Eligible applicants must be the owner of a proposed charging station location and/or the owner of the proposed charging station. Both Level 3 DC Fast Charging and Level 2 charging ports are eligible for funding.

All required forms and information can be found on the Driving a Cleaner Illinois website. Applications for the Driving a Cleaner Illinois — Climate and Equitable Jobs Act EV Charging NOFO will be accepted March 22, 2024, through 5 p.m. Central on May 10, 2024.

The Illinois EPA expects to name the Round One awardees in the coming weeks.

Envirotech Will Deliver Six EVs, One Forklift to PlugD

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Envirotech Vehicles Inc. (EVTV), a provider of new zero-emission, purpose-built electric vehicles, will deliver a total of six EVs and one forklift to PlugD Commercial Electric Leasing and Rentals Inc., a Texas-based commercial EV leasing company, as part of a previously announced sales and purchase agreement.

EVTV will receive the funding before March 29, 2024, net of a deposit of $200,000 received previously for future deliveries in conjunction with this agreement.

“We are pleased and very excited to deliver these first six electric vehicles of the 200 ordered along with one of our electric forklifts to PlugD,” says Phillip Oldridge, CEO of EVTV. “Our team’s commitment to this project is of the utmost importance.”

“This marks the beginning of numerous premium deliveries to our valued PlugD customers and signifies a strong commitment to our successful partnership with Envirotech Vehicles,” says PlugD CEO Adam Greenberg.

“Of the six total vehicles, we will be sending two Class 3 vehicles for a pilot program with The FRONTDoor Collective, doing last-mile deliveries for a major retailer,” adds Greenberg. “The box truck and stake bed truck we are receiving will be delivered to MedProtect, delivering medical supplies to hospitals throughout Texas. The forklift and other Class 3 vehicle will be sent to Gator Chemical for their pipeyard and chemical movement. The zipper we will be receiving will be used at an airport for security and perimeter control.”

Clean Energy Fuels Names Ford to Board of Directors

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has appointed Patrick J. Ford to the company’s board of directors, effective March 27, 2024. He will also be a member of Clean Energy’s audit committee.

Ford, 62, served as an audit partner at KPMG LLP from 1994 until his retirement in 2022. During his tenure at KPMG, he served numerous SEC registrants as the lead audit engagement partner in the energy, automotive and technology sectors.

“Patrick brings to our board extensive experience in finance and accounting within the energy industry,” says Stephen Scully, chairman of Clean Energy’s board of directors. “We are fortunate to have him join us, and I look forward to the positive impact his engagement and assistance will bring in guiding Clean Energy’s strategy and objectives.”

“I am excited to be given this opportunity to serve as an advisor to such a leading force in the renewable fuels sector,” says Ford. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to advocate for RNG as a sustainable, alternative fuel for commercial transportation.”

During his years as an audit executive, Ford served as a member of the board of directors of KPMG and has experience as a member on several other high-profile private and not-for-profit boards. A certified public accountant (retired) in California, Arizona and Hawaii, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.

RIZON Electric Trucks Begin Rolling Out to Customers in California

The first RIZON Class 4-5 battery electric cabover trucks, engineered by Daimler Truck Group, are now being delivered to customers throughout California. RIZON trucks, exclusively distributed in the U.S. by Velocity EV, are set to enhance urban delivery applications by driving both economic and environmental sustainability. The first fleet deliveries have already commenced and are slated to continue in spring 2024.

RIZON trucks can be customized with several different load body options for local goods movement, urban deliveries and refrigerated deliveries. Equipped with an electric power take-off (ePTO) controllable from the cab, these trucks offer added versatility for specialized equipment such as reefer belt drives and hydraulic pumps.  

The initial deployment of RIZON trucks in California includes a diverse range of customers embracing sustainable transportation solutions: 

  • LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN). As the lead agency for the city’s environmental programs and initiatives, LASAN is deploying seven e18L RIZON trucks with stake bed bodies to facilitate the delivery of home trash bins to Los Angeles residents. 
  • Goodwill Industries of San Diego County. Supporting its Southern California donation centers and thrift stores, Goodwill is integrating an e18L RIZON dry van box truck into its fleet to bolster logistics efficiency. 
  • Diamond Environmental. A Southern California-based equipment rental and onsite services company, Diamond Environmental is deploying four e18L RIZON trucks to deliver and service portable restrooms, enhancing efficiency and reducing emissions in the communities it serves. 
  • Ecorecycling. To transport thousands of pounds of clothing and book donations from the local community to its sorting warehouse, Ecorecycling is deploying three e18L RIZON dry van trucks onto its Northern California routes. 
  • Velocity Truck Rental & Leasing. To provide California businesses with accessible zero-emission commercial vehicle solutions, Velocity has five e18L RIZON box trucks available for immediate rental or lease.  

“The shift to electrification is typically a large undertaking for fleets, but our customers are pleased the RIZON trucks can use inexpensive charging hardware and are finding the trucks are easy to operate,” says Alex Voets, general manager of Velocity EV. “It’s great to see fleets deploying their first RIZON trucks.” 

RIZON trucks offer a range of benefits tailored to urban delivery applications, including competitive pricing, telematics, flexible financing from Daimler Truck Financial Services, and a warranty of five years/75,000 miles for the powertrain, chassis and cab, and five years/120,000 miles for the batteries.

With a range of up to 160 miles on a single charge, RIZON trucks can be charged by both Level 2 AC charging and DC fast charging.  Medium (M) and Long (L) range battery configurations allow fleet operators to choose the best price-to-range option for their typical routes. The vehicles are equipped with Daimler’s advanced active safety system and four-stage regenerative braking, enabling drivers to easily adjust it for energy conservation to extend the brake life and driving range. 

RIZON trucks purchased in California qualify for a base voucher of $60,000 per vehicle through the California Air Resource Board (CARB) Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), further incentivizing the transition to sustainable transportation solutions. To participate in the HVIP voucher program, fleet operators must work with an HVIP-approved dealer, which submits the voucher request on the fleet’s behalf for the RIZON truck. RIZON is available from California Truck Centers and Velocity Truck Centers, which are both HVIP-approved dealers.

The CARB certification designates all four RIZON models — e16M, e16L, e18M and e18L — as compliant under the Advanced Clean Fleets rule mandating that 50% of overall state, local and municipal vehicle purchases be zero-emissions as of January 1, 2024. 

Nopetro Renewables Breaks Ground on RNG Facility in Southern Florida

Nopetro Renewables, a developer and operator of renewable natural gas (RNG) projects across North America, has broken ground on Southern Florida’s first landfill-gas-to-RNG facility in Indian River County.

Once operational, the $40 million facility in Vero Beach, named Vero Beach Nopetro Eco District, initially will produce an estimated 3 million gallons of RNG a year and prevent 30,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. That is equivalent to eliminating emissions from 4,300 passenger cars. This project, expected to be completed in early 2025, is the largest investment in Indian River County in the past three years, adding more than 40 local jobs through construction and operation.

“This facility marks a significant milestone for Nopetro and monumental step toward unlocking sustainable opportunities in Florida — and across North America — as we transform waste into a valuable energy resource,” says Jorge Herrera, CEO of Nopetro Energy.

“There’s no better time than the present to introduce creative, turnkey and smarter energy solutions to the Sunshine State as we strive for a bright future for our children and future generations,” adds Herrera. “Congratulations to Indian River County on this achievement and for taking proactive steps to address our shared environmental concerns.”

The new facility will receive landfill gas, which is generated from organic waste decay within the landfill, and refine it into RNG, a fully interchangeable biogas and the lowest-carbon alternative fuel. After a purification process, the RNG will be pipeline ready, creating cleaner fuel for buses and trucks, and cleaner air for the surrounding community.

The plant could provide as much as 80% of the natural gas used in Indian River County annually, offsetting fossil based natural gas demand within the local community.

Nopetro Renewables partnered with Mead & Hunt, an architectural, engineering, planning and construction services firm, to design and construct the facility.

“Through the execution of approximately 75 landfill gas-to-beneficial reuse projects across more than 25 states, Mead & Hunt’s team has a proven engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) approach to renewable energy project delivery,” says Doug Tholo, energy project developer at Mead & Hunt. “Bringing our experience as industry leaders in landfill gas-to-energy projects, and with several Florida offices, we are making a positive impact on the local environment by reducing greenhouse gases. As with all of our projects, safety is our priority.”

Besides its renewable production arm, Nopetro operates 15 renewable gas fueling facilities across Florida with plans for expansion. The RNG is converted into compressed natural gas (CNG) and is used to fuel transit and fleet operations; for example, Nopetro currently fuels the entire transit system in Central Florida via a partnership with the Central Florida Transit Authority. One hundred percent of Nopetro’s natural gas feedstock is produced via renewable sources, including landfills and wastewater treatment plants.

Hannibal, Mo.: Frigid Winters No Match for Propane Autogas

In 2020, Hannibal Public Schools in Missouri began researching clean alternative fuels to replace its diesel models that it knew could not meet upcoming emissions standards without costly and complex after treatments.

Cold-weather performance was top of mind for the district because Hannibal averages about three months of below-freezing temperatures annually.

“CNG was an intriguing fuel, but complicated and expensive,” says Scott Speer, transportation director for the district. “And when we crunched the numbers for electric buses, we couldn’t justify the costs. The technology for electric buses hasn’t been around long enough to have case studies for us to learn from.”

Ultimately, district representatives determined that propane-fueled buses would be the best fit, and Hannibal Public Schools received its first round of vehicles in August 2022. 

With two winters under its belt, the district is impressed with how well the propane buses perform in freezing temperatures and on hilly terrain.

“We had an unusually cold winter this year, and the cold weather performance of the buses was excellent,” says Speer.

School buses that run on propane autogas provide unaided cold-weather starts to -40°F and don’t require additional components the way that diesel buses do. Additionally, propane buses can run their planned routes in cold weather with no accommodations due to low temperatures. That contrasts with a recent study from the Environmental Protection Agency that found that electric school buses lose about 33% of range when temperatures hit 30°F.

Steve Ahrens

Another big driver for the decision to go with propane was years of data showing the strong financial viability of the buses. Speer found that buses fueled by propane have the lowest total cost of ownership of any fuel – alternative or otherwise.

To help offset up-front and infrastructure costs, district leadership accessed funds from state and federal incentive programs. In addition to funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus program, the district received $20,000 from the Missouri Propane Education & Research Council and $10,000 in infrastructure support from its propane supplier, Big River Oil.

Through a two-year contract with Big River Oil, the district is saving 44% in per-gallon fuel costs. The school district is also eligible for the alternative fuel excise credit and alternative fuel infrastructure tax credit.

“Every dollar saved in fuel reallocates to general funds that have gone to raises, particularly to school bus drivers,” says Speer. “We were able to offer a 17 percent pay increase to our drivers, increase the number of transportation staff and invest more funds into our students.”

Hannibal Public Schools’ success with propane school buses has led the district to make the decision to transition to a fleet that runs 100% on propane autogas.

Steve Ahrens has served as the president of the Missouri Education & Research Council for more than 20 years, directing propane outreach, safety training, energy efficiencies and change management. He has worked with many school districts in the state to develop funding programs that support advanced clean transportation buses that help districts reduce costs and emissions. Ahrens previously served with Missouri’s Office of the Secretary of State.

The Missouri Propane Education & Research Council is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the Missouri Legislature. Dedicated to propane education and public awareness, MOPERC provides industry training, consumer safety, appliance rebates and market development programs.