While access to lower carbon fuels is important to meeting the goals of California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, there were fewer than 30 public renewable fuel stations throughout the state in 2009. In 2010 the California Energy Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy awarded the Department of General Services and Propel Fuels a grant to build seventy-five (75) alternative fuel filling stations. The Low Carbon Fuel Infrastructure Investment Initiative leverages existing fueling infrastructure, currently distributing conventional fuels, to provide public access to E85 ethanol to the over 600,000 Flex Fuel Vehicles statewide. Propel is the leading provider of renewable fuels in California and has experience operating stations across the state. The Department of General Services manages the nation's largest state fleet with over 52,000 mobile assets including 38,000 passenger vehicles.
The objective of the Low Carbon Fuel Infrastructure Investment Initiative program is to displace over 24 million gallons of petroleum annually by the completion of the program. In addition, the program was designed to stimulate job growth by creating 450 direct and indirect jobs. While meeting its job creation goals, the program completed thirty-six of the seventy-five stations and displaced 12.5 million gallons of petroleum through March of 2014. Along with the station build-out, alternative fuel education and community outreach were a critical piece of the project. Propel worked with partners CALSTART and the Clean Cities Coalitions across the state to educate consumers and fleets on the benefits of low carbon, alternative fuels.
Funding for this project was granted through the California Energy Commission's Clean Transportation Program and the U.S. Department of Energy's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These programs are working to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while increasing the use of alternative fuels through innovative technologies.
