Our last post regarding the Volkswagen settlement included the initial “partial settlement” that was enacted in July 2016 through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Justice Department, included the following stipulations for the company to comply with nationally: Recall of 85% of affected 2.0 liter vehicles by June of 2019 through buy backs, lease termination, and hardware/software modifications. Creation of a $2.7 billion national fund to remediate NOx emissions where violating VW vehicles operated or continue to operate; particularly on impacted disadvantaged communities. Investment of an additional $2 billion on zero emission vehicles and infrastructure to support and edu
2017 is poised to be a record level of production for renewable fuels underneath the Renewable Fuel Standard program, coupled with record consumption based on U.S. Energy Information Agency forecasts. Yet, many questions still linger for how the next administration will go about management of the RFS program. Scott Pruitt, President-elect Trump’s pick to head the EPA, has at times been an opponent of the RFS program, carrying a previous record of opposing RFS increases and being an overall critic of the program. President-elect Trump himself also sent mixed messages on RFS and biofuel standards from the campaign trail. Earlier this year in Iowa, Trump called for increases in the RFS program
The economic side of increasing RNG demand is driven today by the federal renewable fuel standard – version 2 (RFS2). This creates a system of credits or RINs (Renewable Identification Numbers) tied to amounts of biomass based renewable fuel (ethanol, biodiesel and RNG) that must be blended into petroleum fuels or bought as RINs by obligated parties (today, oil refiners). The USEPA sets annual volume requirements for four categories of renewable biomass-based fuels. RNG generally, but not always, qualifies for the highest value RINs, called cellulosic or D3. These D3 RINs are trading today at high values. Adding the RINs value renders a price of RNG-based CNG significantly lower, not only th
“Today, renewable natural gas (RNG) is running the market (for natural gas transportation fuel),” said Paul Niznik from Argus Media in his remarks to the 200+ attendees of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas conference in San Diego last week. “You are driving the growth, and with that leadership comes responsibility.” While this might be a somewhat California-centric view, it is based on a combination of economics and the impact of corporate sustainability imperatives – two related factors ready to impact markets for CNG and LNG fuels across the country today. (See the sidebar article about RNG economics and environmental factors.) According to David Cox from the RNG Coalition, about 80%
The Ohio EPA, in partnership with the Ohio DOT, has announced the latest round of funding for the Diesel Emission Reduction Grant (DERG) Program. This program grants funding for up to 80% of the incremental cost for the replacement, repower, or retrofit of older diesel engines with new technologies, including clean diesel, alternative fuels, and anti-idling equipment (however select public fleet vehicles qualify for higher funding). Public and private fleets are eligible to apply across a variety of vehicle types, including both on-road, off-road, locomotive, and maritime. Applying fleets must also operate 65% or more of the time in non-attainment Ohio counties. Learn more about this grant
Clean Fuels Ohio is working to deploy electric vehicles (EVs) as well as many other alternative fuel vehicles and technologies throughout Ohio. But I do more than just talk about cleaner, more sustainable vehicles. I drive and EV myself. Last December, our family purchased a used 2013 Nissan Leaf—a fully electric, 4-door car. I use it for day-to-day commuting and errands. We use it for any family activities that are local and don’t require hauling lots of cargo or more than 5 passengers. Drives like a champ My favorite thing about our EV is the driving experience. It’s quiet and so smooth. It responds instantly, accelerates quickly and never lurches even when speeding up. I’ve come to enjoy
When we bought our Nissan Leaf, the dealer sales representative told me that Nissan recommended level 2 home charging system. But based on my personal experience and research, this is an unnecessary expense for most people. A level 2 home charger allows you to rapidly re-charge your electric vehicle. The typical cost is $400-$500. However, most home garages don’t come equipped with a 240V 40 amp circuit. Costs to provide 240V service will vary widely depending on where your panel is located relative to the place you need to install the charger. Installation might add a few hundred bucks but might be closer to $1,500. To determine if a level 2 charger is worth it, simply estimate how many mil
