Projects

California Department of General Services Grant For the California Low Carbon Fuels Infrastructure Investment Initiative

The California Department of General Services (DGS) will use grant funding to help build 75 dispensers supplying low carbon, domestically produced E85 to consumers as well as private and public fleets throughout the state.

DGS will partner with Propel Fuels, Inc., the East Bay Clean Cities Coalition, CALSTART, and local Conservation Corps of California to develop a statewide network of E85 fuel dispensers. Propel Fuels has conducted an extensive market analysis to determine the best fueling locations, taking into account census demographic data, alternative-fuel vehicle registration information, analyses of traffic patterns and interviews with customers. As much as possible, Propel will use ethanol from California. DGS and Propel will carry out an education and outreach plan to increase public awareness about the availability of alternative fuels, and will coordinate with local Conservation Corps to offer green job training.

Grant Amount

$4,000,000. The US Department of Energy also is providing $6,917,000 of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding for this project.

Match Funding

$12,098,115 from the project’s participants.

Project Participants

The California Department of General Services manages the nation’s largest state fleet and has implemented a series of programs to protect the environment and reduce petroleum consumption in their vehicles. These policy programs and goals are often replicated by local governments and fleets in other states.

Propel Fuels, Inc., based in Redwood City, builds, owns and operates a growing network of alternative fuel pumps across the West Coast. Its market business plan locates clean fuel dispensers at existing fueling stations to provide easily accessible and cost effective alternative fuel to the public.

CALSTART is a member-supported non-profit organization dedicated to developing and expanding and a high-tech transportation industry that cleans the air, creates jobs, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and reduces petroleum use.

Other project participants for education and outreach include:
The East Bay Clean Cities Coalition, a "grassroots" non-profit 501 (C) organization operated entirely by volunteer staff working in the San Francisco Bay area. With the goal to reduce petroleum use, the East Bay Clean Cities Coalition has stakeholders representing government and municipal fleets, private industry fleets, and vendors from fuel, automotive, aftermarket, and other related industries.

Local Conservation Corps of California, individual organizations providing at-risk and high-risk young men and women ages 18-25 with job opportunities and education. Each member corps offers a program of conservation work, education and community service. Local Conservation Corps are not the same as the California Conservation Corps (CCC).

Project Benefits

This project will displace an estimated 24 million gallons of petroleum-based fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 180,000 tons CO2 per year. This project will create or retain over 450 jobs while creating opportunities in at least 18 of California’s Enterprise Zones.