The national trade associations that represent America’s alternative fuel and vehicle industries signed a joint letter to the Senate and House Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittees in support of funding the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Clean Cities Program. Supporting trade associations include NGVAmerica, the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA), the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), Growth Energy—America’s Ethanol Supporters, and the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA).
The letter supports the request of the nation’s nearly 100 Clean Cities Coalitions and their 14,000 stakeholders to ensure adequate funding for the Clean Cities alternative fuel deployment program is included in the FY 2016 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Specifically, the letter requests $50 million is allocated to the Clean Cities program for alternative fuel deployment activities, including $25 million in competitive grants.
This week at the Energy Independence Summit 2015, organized by Transportation Energy Partners (TEP), more than 40 Clean Cities coordinators and 100 industry leaders visited House and Senate offices in their efforts to educate members of Congress on the activities of the Clean Cities program in the States and Districts.
The increased use of alternative fuels provide a number of policy benefits, including displacing the use of foreign oil, improving our energy security, creating domestic jobs and improving the economy. Sam Spofforth, as President of TEP, said, “This year we have a unique opportunity to educate the new congressional leadership on the Clean Cities program and the role of alternative fuels and infrastructure in general. The joint industry letter is a critical component of and demonstrates the broad-based grassroots support that exists for this critical DOE program.”
“The U.S. DOE Clean Cities program is instrumental in the deployment of natural gas and other advanced fuel vehicles across the country,” said NGVAmerica President Matthew Godlewski. “NGVAmerica will continue to work with Congress to ensure Clean Cities and other initiatives receive the necessary funding for our country to more fully realize the many policy benefits of using low cost, clean and domestic natural gas.”
“The RFS has been the most successful energy policy this nation has enacted in the last forty years,” noted Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy. “It has helped reduce our dependence on foreign oil by nearly 50 percent, is cleaner and better for our environment, creates American jobs that cannot be outsourced, supports a robust rural economy and in 2014 it contributed more than $50 billion dollars to our GDP. Furthermore, it provides the American consumer with a choice and savings when they go and fill up at the pump.”
“Partners in the Clean Cities program are essential to the effort to advance electric mobility and other advanced transportation options in the United States,” said Genevieve Cullen, interim president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association. “With a direct link to local stakeholders, we can maximize our resources by tailoring technology deployments to meet the unique needs of each region.”
“The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) is pleased to work with other alternative fuel advocates and with the Clean Cities coalition to place more environmentally friendly vehicles on the road,” stated Richard Roldan, NPGA President & CEO. “When we utilize America’s abundant sources of alternative energy, we are increasing jobs and decreasing pollution. NPGA supports the Clean Cities program and urges Congress to provide adequate funding for the deployment of alternative fuels and vehicles throughout the country.”
“Clean Cities Coalitions across the country pay huge dividends in promoting and supporting the development of alternative energy,” Anne Steckel, NBB Vice President of Federal Affairs. “They are helping industries like biodiesel grow, create jobs, reduce harmful emissions and lessen our dangerous dependence on oil.”
For more information, visit www.ngvamerica.org.