After nearly a year since original court approval of the Volkswagen Partial Settlement, we are getting ever closer towards money becoming available for emission mitigation projects (such as diesel vehicle replacement, EV charging, and other options). As quick recap, VW was found to be cheating emission standards in the United States late 2015. As a result, the company was fined nearly $16 billion for the replacement of offending cars and new investment in zero emissions vehicle deployment and environmental mitigation actions. Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Northern California approved the proposed Environmental Mitigation Trust agreement, which would set the Trust Effective Date within two w
The week of September 9th through 17th was National Drive Electric Week. Clean Fuels Ohio’s Drive Electric Ohio initiative was out in full force across the state hosting educational events, press conferences and ride-and-drive opportunities to the public. Take a test drive with Representative Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon) In total, Drive Electric Ohio held eleven events across the state. These included: Akron (1 event) Athens (2 events) Cincinnati (1 event) Cleveland (2 events) Columbus (3 events) Dayton (1 event) Toledo/Perrysburg (1 event) Drive Electric Ohio is proud of the impact we had during National Drive Electric Week. In total, we engaged over 1,000 consumers. This includes 500 ride-and
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY BIODIESEL.ORG ON AUGUST 30, 2017 A new academic paper published in Biotechnology for Biofuels shows biodiesel’s benefits are even better than previous models suggested. Updated modeling from Purdue University suggests the advantage of using biodiesel has been underestimated by 10 percent. “This latest research verifies biodiesel is an ideal option to support American-made energy and renewable fuels,” said Don Scott, National Biodiesel Board Director of Sustainability. “The more accurate the models become, the more clearly they show biodiesel’s benefits.” Research has long supported the benefits of biodiesel in reducing wastes, supporting domestic jobs, and reducing ha
The Smart Columbus Program is taking steps to address a major need for Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure: charging at multi-unit dwellings like apartment and condominium complexes. It’s no surprise that Columbus is experiencing a boom in the construction of new apartment and condominium buildings across the seven county Columbus metro area. As residents look to move to new condos or apartments in the urban core, those interested in purchasing an EV discover they have no ability to plug in their vehicle at home. According to the US Department of Energy, up to 80 percent of all EV charging is done at home. Being able to charge an EV at home overnight is critical to making the choice to purc
In 2005, Congress created the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to lessen our dependence on foreign sources of fuel, and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants. The RFS requires that transportation fuel sold in the U.S. contain a certain amount of renewable fuels. We are fortunate here in Ohio because of our agricultural strength. We have the ability to grow, process and consume biofuels more effectively than most states, giving us the ability to rely less on petroleum, and be a reliable provider of the resources necessary for all states to meet the RFS. Congress expanded the RFS program in 2007 with the goal of achieving 36 billion gallons of biofuels used
