cleaner transportation and alternate fuels

Gasoline and diesel transportation fuels represent a major share of America's most pernicious air pollution, water-borne toxins, and climate emissions. While we presently have better technological choices for cleaner electricity production than for transportation fuels, there is still significant progress available from more fuel-efficient vehicles, hybrid technologies, and alternate fuels. There is also much future promise in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle technologies. With support from the Energy Foundation and the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, CEERT has been working to clean up CO2 from cars and trucks, promote smarter transportation and development planning, and help develop an alternate fuel-distribution infrastructure as near-term means to reduce the impacts of fossil-fueled transportation.

Summary:

CEERT is active in Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative working groups, and helped PEVC staff prepare a proposal to establish Regional EV Readiness Councils across California.

The CPUC issued a Proposed Phase II Decision in its Alternative Fueled Vehicle Proceeding.  CEERT filed comments urging that future utility work in this area remain linked with the Smart Grid Proceeding.

CEERT worked with CARB staff on workplan revisions for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard program.

CEERT serves as technical lead for state and national NGOs on criteria emissions standards for current revisions to the LEV regulations, which could form the basis for new federal Tier III emissions standards.

CEERT is exploring the possibility of developing an integrated vision and strategy for the deployment of stationary and mobile fuel cells in California.

CEERT worked with CEC staff, auto companies, and CaFCP to help resolve differences over the level of AB 118 Program funding needed to support the market launch of fuel cell vehicles in 2014.

Recent Developments:

Electrifying Transportation

To implement its December 2010 Strategic Plan, the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative (PEVC) has now established five workgroups:

  1. Deployment Guidelines & Permit Streamlining
  2. Communications
  3. Coordination of Government Policy
  4. Market Expansion
  5. Research

The workgroups are developing their work plans, deliverables and budgets for 2011, which will be presented at the PEVC Council’s meeting on July 14.  CEERT co-chairs Workgroup 1 and is active in Work­groups 3 and 4.  We have been assisting staff to ensure that the PEVC’s work is coordinated with other efforts to expedite the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles and associated infrastructure in the state.

CEERT helped PEVC staff prepare a statewide proposal—in response to a DOE funding solicitation—on establishing Regional EV Readiness Councils across California.  If California is awarded funding, those funds will likely be available by late 2011 or early 2012.  And on May 12, the CEC released its request for proposals to fund the establishment of Regional EV Readiness Councils in California.  Each CEC grant will be a maximum of $200,000, with $1million in total funding avail­able for these projects. 

On June 23, the CPUC was due to consider its Phase II Proposed Decision on policies to overcome barriers to electric vehicle deployment.  However, this item was held for consideration at a later meeting.

Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)

The LCFS Program Review Advisory Panel that is examining the implementation of the LCFS program for CARB met for a second time on April 26, and reviewed a draft workplan that CARB staff provided.  CEERT worked actively with staff on workplan revisions, which the Panel will consider during its June 30 – July 1 meetings. 

Low-Emission Vehicle Regulations

The current revisions of California’s Low Emission Vehicle regulations are known as LEV III, have separate components for criteria emissions (LEV III-Criteria) and GHGs (LEV III-GHG—an extension of the groundbreaking Pavley standards), and also contain a supplemental technology-forcing component called the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) program.  Current revisions to the ZEV program are significant. 

In September, CARB plans to formally release the proposed revisions to its suite of passenger vehicle regulations (LEV III-Criteria, LEV III-GHG and ZEV II) simultaneously with the release of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the revisions to federal standards under the US-EPA and NHTSA.  CARB’s rulemaking should be completed by November or December, and the federal rulemaking by July 2012, assuming there are no delays.

CEERT continues to serve as technical lead for state and national NGOs on criteria emissions performance standards that CARB is developing for its LEV revisions, which could form the basis for the next generation of federal Tier III emissions standards.

CEERT is working with CARB ZEV staff, the auto manufacturers, and the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) to develop provisions under the revised ZEV regulations for the deployment of hydrogen fueling infra­structure.  CEERT will continue to work with CEC staff on coordinating future AB 118 funding with CARB’s revised ZEV regulations to facilitate the sustained deployment of hydrogen fueling stations through 2015 – 2016 and beyond. 

CARB Showcase on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

On June 23, in preparation for its upcoming regulatory activities this fall, CARB staff organized an informational update for the Board on the status of fuel cell technology in both stationary and mobile applications.  The Showcase involved a series of panels featuring presentations on the opportunities and challenges that face fuel cell technology in California. 

During the opening panel, CEERT’s John Shears gave a presentation on stationary and mobile fuel cells.  His talk highlighted the potential for fuel cell deployment under the Governor’s Localized Renewable Energy Gene­ration Initiative, and served to introduce the rest of the panel sessions.  On the second panel, Katrina Fritz-Intwala of CEERT affiliate UTC spoke on behalf of the Stationary Fuel Collaborative, and CEERT affiliate Fuel Cell Energy’s Fountain Valley project was featured in Scott Samuelsen’s presentation during the closing panel.  Dr. Samuelsen is the Director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center. 

Overall, the Board was generally supportive of fuel cells, and quite interested in understanding the hurdles and opportunities for deploying the technology.  Prior to CARB staff’s organizing the Showcase, CEERT had approached both the California Stationary Fuel Collaborative and the California Fuel Cell Partnership about the possibility developing an integrated vision and strategy for the deployment of fuel cells in California. Both organizations continue to express support for working together on such an effort.

AB 118 Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program

The CEC’s February 18 draft of the 2011 – 2012 Investment Plan for the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program had proposed only $3 million for transit-related hydrogen fueling infrastructure.  The car companies and the CaFCP requested that an additional $10 million for FCV fueling infrastructure be added to the $3 million.  Hydrogen fuel providers also recommended additional infra­structure funding. 

CEERT worked with CEC staff, the auto companies, and the CaFCP to help resolve differences over the level of funding needed in the Investment Plan to support the market launch of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) in 2014.  Subsequently, CEC staff increased the pro­posed figure to $8 mil­lion in their May 9 Investment Plan draft, with all of the funding likely going to support FCVs.  A final draft of the investment plan will be released on June 29 for consideration at the CEC’s July 13 business meeting.

The sustained long-term deployment of hydrogen fueling stations is necessary for meeting CARB’s ZEV program goals, and the state’s overall air-quality and climate targets.