Greening County Fleets

●●Introduction According to the U.S. Environmental Pro- County fleets are typically a diverse mix of tection Agency (USEPA), motor vehicles are light, heavy duty and off-road vehicles and responsible for over 50 percent of nitrogen equipment that deliver a variety of essential oxide pollution, 42 percent of volatile or- services for county governments and resi- ganic compounds, 25 percent of particulate dents. matter, and 80 percent of carbon monoxide emissions. Counties can take steps that will Examples of on-road fleet vehicles include: reduce the environmental and energy impact zz passenger vehicles for county administra- of their fleet operations while also saving tion, inspection and human services ac- taxpayer dollars. They can also play an im- tivities, portant role by setting an example for county zz police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and residents and private fleet operators to im- other emergency vehicles, plement energy conservation measures. zzschool buses and public-transit buses, Although many forms of improvements and replacements in the county fleet require up- and Any fuel, vehicle, or technology a county zzwaste-disposal vehicles. front expenditures, they can save money in may select will have pros and cons – coun- the long run, both in fuel and maintenance ties that are greening their fleets typically Examples of off-road fleet vehicles in- costs. Several types of these replacements use a variety of existing fuels and vehicles. and improvements do not require servicing clude: Ultimately, the decision on the kinds of vehi- zzconstruction equipment such as backhoes as frequently as do the traditionally-powered cles, fuels and/or technologies will vary with varieties. For example, whereas a gasoline or front end loaders, each county’s economic and environmental zz vehicle should have its oil changed every agricultural vehicles, goals as well as location. zzlandscaping equipment, and three months, an electric vehicle needs no oil zzlandfill equipment. ●●Costs and Benefits change. In order to reduce emissions, counties can Additionally, many of these fuels, such as County Case Study: adopt a variety of conservation measures, propane (in some areas), natural gas, and Arlington County, Virginia retrofit technologies, and alternative fuels ethanol are less expensive than gasoline. Ac- and vehicles. These include: cording to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Population: 189, 453 zzbiomass and bio-fuel, (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable County Seat: Arlington zzclean diesel technology, Energy program, the average price of gaso- As part of its Fresh AIRE (Arling- zzpropane fuel, line has been consistently higher than that ton Initiative to Reduce Emissions) zznatural gas fuel, and of natural gas or of several different ethanol program, Arlington County, Virginia zzelectric, hybrid, and flex-fuel vehicles. blends. is home to the nation’s first all-hybrid taxicab fleet (EnviroCab). These ve- Choosing to incorporate green vehicles or ●●Biomass and Bio- hicles are hybrids, producing emissions alternative fuels into the county fleet can 60 percent lower than those of standard help reduce dependence on foreign sources fuels cabs. Additionally, in order to com- of fuel. They present a great way to get Biomass and bio-fuels (biomass in liquid pensate for the unavoidable amounts federal (and sometimes state) incentives, form) are produced from organic materials. of carbon that are released into the en- and may also offer a use for many waste This is a broad category, including ethanol, vironment, these cabs purchase carbon products. Additionally, using greener fuels bio-diesel, renewable diesel, and even some offsets, which provide money for clean- and vehicles means cleaner air and environ- natural gas. Some renewable fuels can be source companies. Arlington County ment, helping to keep residents healthy. The produced from surplus and non-agricultural has also incorporated 471 large trucks USEPA has stated that about 50 percent of and school buses that run on bio-diesel Americans are living in areas with so many fuel, 22 public transportation buses run- pollutants that their health and the environ- ning on natural gas, and 90 gas-electric ment can be negatively affected. hybrids. generally using gasoline, in order to make it with the first use of biodiesel blends which undrinkable. can release deposits into the fuel system. This switch can provide additional lubricity Generally, ethanol is blended with gasoline as well as being biodegradable and reduce before being used to power a vehicle. Many odors. of the traditional vehicles that a county already owns may be capable of running on Because most biodiesel is produced lo- E10, a mixture of 10 percent ethanol and 90 cally or regionally, there may be variations percent gasoline. According to the DOE’s in quality and cold weather performance. Clean Cities program, some of the newer As a result, vehicle owners should review vehicles on the market can actually use E85, the individual engine and equipment manu- which contains 85 percent ethanol. facturers’ specific warranty provisions and policies regarding the use of renewable die- The NACo 2008 Annual Conference will sel or biodiesel blends in their equipment. feature a workshop panel regarding ethanol Although some manufacturers will warranty and its impact on food, fuel and the environ- their vehicles for use of biodiesel blends up crops, animal products or waste materials, ment. Following this conference, copies of to B20, others will not do so for blends high- such as used frying oil from restaurants and presentations will be made available at www. er than B5. landfill fumes. As with virtually all alter- greencounties.org. native fuels, there are costs and benefits to According to DOE, bio-diesel, at a B20 using these types of fuels. While in some Bio-diesel and Renewable Diesel blend, reduces emissions of carbon dioxide cases, converting these materials to fuel will Bio-diesel fuel can be blended with petro- (15 percent), carbon monoxide (11 percent), help divert them from landfills, manufactur- leum diesel to operate diesel vehicles and unburned hydrogen chloride (21 percent), and ers may not yet warranty use of these fuels in equipment. It is made from vegetable oils particulate matter (10 percent) that can cause their vehicles. or animal fats through a process called trans- smog. Contra Costa County, California; esterification. Renewable diesel is similar Atlantic County, New Jersey; King County, Ethanol Fuel to bio-diesel in that it is made from the same Washington; Arlington County, Virginia; and Ethanol is liquid grain alcohol made mostly materials; however, it is produced through Buncombe County, North Carolina all use from corn crops. The corn is usually pro- hydrotreating, a process used in today’s pe- biodiesel fuels in their diesel vehicles. cessed in a dry mill plant. Here, it is ground troleum refineries. and combined with water and enzymes. The ●●Clean Diesel mixture is heated and yeast is added and giv- A benefit of these products is that many tra- en time to ferment. The results of this pro- ditional diesel vehicles can run on bio-diesel Technology Over the last several years, there have cess are distilled to remove the water, leav- without any mechanical alterations. How- been major advancements in diesel technol- ing 200-proof ethanol. It is then modified, ever, extra maintenance may be required ogy, resulting in significant emissions re- ductions. In October 2006, ultra-low-sulfur jobs would be created to manufacture the diesel (ULSD) fuel, containing 97 percent Benefits to Constituents tanks, boilers, and other parts of the indus- less sulfur, became the nation’s standard for Encouraging county residents to buy al- trial plants to process the fuel. Other em- vehicles. In 2007, even more stringent en- ternative fuel vehicles can help them save ployees would be needed to transport the gines with advanced pollution-control tech- money on fuel and maintenance costs. fuel. nology using ULSD fuel resulted in trucks Additionally, using these alternative fuels and buses that are up to 95 percent cleaner can create a use for unused land. For ex- In addition, use of clean technologies and than previous models. In terms of passenger ample, land not suitable for growing food alternative fuel vehicles can help reduce cars and trucks, clean diesel technology has crops can, instead of being left to lie fallow, emissions and their reported health related resulted in the introduction of vehicles that be used to grow the materials to produce risks. Over-exposure to air pollution can can now meet California’s stricter emissions biomass fuels. This can provide an extra cause a variety of health problems, includ- standards. As a result, new clean diesel ve- source of income for the owners of this ing an exacerbation of existing diseases, hicles meet the same particulate matter and land as well as create more job openings. sore throats, heart and respiratory prob- nitrogen oxide emissions standards as gaso- lems, and even early death. According to line cars and their 20 to 40 percent fuel effi- The USEPA estimates that ethanol has cre- the Heart and Lung Association, 150 mil- ciency advantage helps reduce petroleum use ated over 230,000 jobs. The higher demand lion people live in counties with dangerous while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by for alternative fuels, the more jobs will be levels of air pollutants. These pollutants roughly 20 percent. created to produce the fuel to meet this de- can contribute to lung cancer and heart mand. Green for All, an organization dedi- disease. Decreasing the emission of these For heavy duty diesel vehicles and equip- cated to building a green economy, reports pollutants can only help minimize health ment that have several years of working that the average bio-diesel plant employs related complications for citizens. life left, various retrofit technologies can 35 workers, which could prove to be a huge be installed to significantly reduce particu- boost, especially to rural areas. Even more late matter and nitrogen oxide emissions. Engines can be upgraded or replaced to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy or catalyzed filters can be installed to physi- County Case Study: Additionally, the county has worked hard cally trap particulate matter as exhaust gases King County, Washington to create a strong system of public transpor- move through the filter, reducing particulate Population: 1,793,583 tation. There are currently 1,400 vehicles matter emissions up to 90 percent. Contra County Seat: Seattle that work for King County Metro Transit. Costa County has had great success with Metro Transit has a large fleet of over 200 King County, Washington has been pur- this technology. For information on clean hybrid buses in service and is buying more chasing alternative fuels and alternatively diesel technology, please see NACo’s Green this year. The county’s vanpool program, fueled vehicles since 1991 and natural Government Initiative fact sheet on “Clean the largest publicly owned in the country, products to use in maintenance since 1995. Diesel Technology for County Operations” has thus far eliminated 4,500 vehicles from In 2007 alone, the county acquired a hybrid available at www.greencounties.org. the roads. King County has also helped set truck, two natural-gas vehicles, one plug- up car-sharing programs to increase car- in hybrid electric vehicle, 17 regular hybrid Propane pooling, as well as supported the installa- vehicles, and 19 flex-fuel vehicles. These Propane is a convenient fuel for alterna- tion of exhaust filtration systems. acquisitions raised the tally of regular hy- tive energy due to the fact that it is readily brid vehicles to170 and flex-fuel vehicles available in the United States because of its King County has also worked to exer- to 100. heating and cooking uses. It is also already cise the collective purchasing power of in use in many government vehicles, includ- municipalities: collaborating with General Additionally, the county purchased 1,595 ing law enforcement cars and school buses. Motors on development of the first appli- gallons of bio-based lubricants, which are Contra Costa County, California; James City cation of a hybrid-electric bus, and creat- vegetable based, biodegradable, and safer County, Virginia; and King County, Wash- ing a contract for other local governments for workers than are traditional versions; ington are examples of counties using this to purchase these buses; working with the 112,054 gallons of re-refined motor oil, fuel. Propane is a byproduct of petroleum USEPA West Coast Collaborative, West- which prevented old oil from being dis- and natural gas processing, so additional pro- Start-CALSTART and numerous munici- carded into the environment; and 24,112 cessing would be unnecessary. palities in Washington State to create the gallons of rerefined antifreeze. Use of propane in bi-fuel vehicles has Northwest Hybrid Truck Consortium to shown emissions of toxins to be reduced by purchase hybrid-electric trucks at a lower As for fuels, King County bought 98 percent. A bi-fuel vehicle has two sepa- per-unit cost; joining with other munici- 9,948,248 gallons of ULSD fuel, 1,759,251 rate fuel tanks, allowing it to operate on ei- pal fleets in this region to create the Puget gallons of pure bio-diesel, and 1,454,392 ther propane or gasoline. Sound Green Fleet Initiative, to generate a gallons of a blend of 20 percent bio-diesel “green fleet” standard; and partnering with and 80 percent gasoline. Due to its hybrid Natural Gas several of these municipalities on a plug-in vehicles alone, King Country produces Natural gas is made mostly of methane orig- hybrid electric vehicle demonstration proj- 6,500 tons of carbon dioxide less than it inating in gas wells and from oil production. ect that will provide important user data on otherwise would. According to the USEPA, it is clean burning, these vehicles to the DOE Idaho National reducing emissions of non-methane hydro- Laboratory. King County has also instated policies to carbon (by 50-75 percent), carbon monoxide prevent fuel waste. County vehicles may (90-97 percent), carbon dioxide (25 percent), King County has shared lessons from its not idle for more than three minutes every nitrogen oxide (35-60 percent), and particu- experience in clean vehicle use through hour unless special permission is received late matter (almost completely). In order to Hybridcars.com and its September 2007 to do so. Other regulations of this nature use this fuel, it first needs to be compressed Clean Vehicles Now! conference, among include driving within the speed limit, or liquefied in order to allow for easier other arenas. More information about the avoiding sudden acceleration or stops, transportation. Infrastructure for provid- King County Fleet Administration Division checking the pressure of the vehicles’ tires ing natural gas is expensive, however many can be found at www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/ on a monthly basis, and ensuring that the communities have already made this invest- fleet/. vehicles receive maintenance on a regular ment, making the use of this fuel in these basis. communities a cost-effective option. Many Washington, DC buses run on this fuel. Con- tra Costa County, California; King County, Washington; and Arlington County, Virginia, also use natural gas-powered vehicles.

Visit www.greencounties.org Electric, Hybrid, and Flex-Fuel Vehicles County Case Study: Electric vehicles, such as those being used Additionally, on days when high levels of in Contra Costa County, California, and Maricopa County, Arizona ground-level ozone have been predicted, James City County, Virginia, run purely on Population: 3,635,528 residents carpool or use public transporta- electricity and can be plugged into a power County Seat: Phoenix tion instead of driving individually to work and stay in the office during lunch time outlet in order to charge. They use batteries Maricopa County, Arizona designed its rather than driving out to get food. Any and other instruments to hold this power until County Vehicles and Environmental Re- necessary refueling is done after 4:00 pm, the vehicle is needed. These vehicles pro- sponsibility Policy with the aim of reduc- and engine idling is limited. duce no direct emissions and need much less ing the county’s greenhouse gas emissions service than do traditional ones. According and carbon footprint. It began by remov- The county also helps with this reduction to the USEPA, they do not need tune-ups or ing under-utilized vehicles from the county of emissions. It regulates gasoline, ruling oil changes because they have fewer moving fleet. Now, Maricopa County ensures that that only cleaner-burning gasoline can be parts than traditional vehicles. appropriately-sized vehicles are used for sold during the summer. It has also created county tasks, and buys hybrid and flex-fuel a Voluntary Vehicle Repair and Retrofit Hybrid vehicles work using a combination vehicles whenever possible. All cars also Program, which reduces emissions from gasoline, diesel or alternative fuel together are subject to a preventative maintenance exhaust. Additionally, the county works to with electricity. They have batteries that can schedule. be charged by plugging them into a power educate others on reducing pollution. outlet (hybrid-electric vehicles) or by col- lecting the kinetic energy that would other- 33-34 miles per gallon. A 2008 Chevrolet day. James City County, Virginia, and King wise be lost when braking. Hybrid vehicles Tahoe gets USEPA estimated fuel economy County, Washington both use these types of get better mileage than traditional ones. (city/highway) of 14/20 mpg for 2 wheel- vehicles. drive and 14/19 mpg for 4 wheel-drive. A A traditional 2008 Ford Escape, for ex- 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, the Green Car ●●Getting Started ample, can get 20-26 miles per gallon. A Journal 2008 Green Car of the Year, can get There are several steps a county can take to 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid such as Sarasota 21/22 mpg for 2 wheel drive and 20/20 mpg begin greening its existing fleet: County, Florida has added to its fleet, on the for 4 wheel drive. 1. Evaluate how much the county is spend- other hand, can reach 30-34 miles per gal- ing on vehicles and the amount of pollu- lon. This holds true in other brands as well; Hybrids also produce fewer harmful emis- tion being created. a 2009 Camry can get 21-31 miles per gallon sions. According to the USEPA’s emissions 2. Set goals for improving these numbers and a 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid can reach calculator, a Ford Escape Hybrid saves 22,797 and determine which type of fuel source pounds of carbon dioxide, 1,211 pounds of is best suited to the specific location and carbon monoxide, 15 pounds of nitrogen ox- needs. County Case Study: ide, and 22 pounds of hydrocarbons over a 3. Get quotes on new vehicles and retrofit op- Buncombe County, North non-hybrid Ford Escape in its lifetime. James tions to assess which one offers the most City County, Virginia; Buncombe County, cost-effective solution. Counties can find Carolina North Carolina; Clackamas County, Oregon; a list of auctions of used-alternative fuel Population: 206,330 Arlington County, Virginia; King County, vehicles at www.autoactions.gsa.gov. If County Seat: Asheville Washington, and Atlantic County, New Jer- it is preferable to find alternative sources sey have also added hybrid vehicles to their Buncombe County, North Carolina is for buying vehicles, www.epa.gov/green- county fleets. using a combination of bio-diesel and vehicles/Index.do;jsessionid=8230e4749 hybrid vehicles. The county used a dfd193515a7 allows counties to look up Hybrids are also being used in a variety of grant from the State Energy Office to potential purchases to evaluate energy ef- heavy duty vehicles including transit buses, build its own bio-diesel fuel tank and ficiency. school buses, and work trucks in the util- pump. All of the county’s diesel-fueled 4. Revise the existing fleet policy or create ity, package delivery and other sectors. The vehicles will be switched over to a mix a new policy in order to incorporate these National Renewable Energy Laboratory of 20 percent bio-diesel and 80 percent changes. For more information about (NREL) has done several studies on diesel traditional diesel. This includes ambu- these policies, please see the Green Fleet hybrid buses, finding them to provide signifi- lances, landfill machinery, and public Management Policy below. cant emission reduction, fuel efficiency and safety equipment, among others. Addi- maintenance cost benefits. tionally, the county has purchased 23 hy- ●●Green Fleet brid vehicles. The county reviews every Finally, as their name implies, flex-fuel ve- Management Policy vehicle requiring replacement in order hicles are designed to be flexible in their fuel The federal government, as well as some to evaluate whether a hybrid would be use. They can run on an 85 percent or less states, provide grants or other incentives for an adequate substitute. These measures ethanol blend or on pure gasoline. They can buying and using alternative fuel vehicles or have reduced carbon monoxide by 20 also function on any mixture of these two fu- retrofitting existing diesel vehicles, making percent, particulates by 20 percent, and els. General Motors’ Chevy Impala E85 is it a more cost-effective option. For exam- hydrocarbons by 40 percent. one of many flex-fuel cars on the market to- ple, California offers grants of up to $5,000 Emerging Fuels last for about six years and do not need any Although hydrogen fuel cells have already County Case Study: other maintenance. Sarasota County, Florida been used by U.S. astronauts, they are not yet a viable option for independent vehicles. By incorporating these vehicles, Sarasota Population: 325,957 However, three years ago, President George County has reduced carbon monoxide (by County Seat: Sarasota W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 97 percent), nitrogen oxide (50 percent), Sarasota County, Florida has incorporated 2005, allocating more than 3.2 billion dollars greenhouse gas emissions (33 percent), hybrid vehicles into its fleet and demon- for hydrogen fuel cell research. Due to the particulate matter (95 percent), and envi- strated them to the public in order to en- fact that hydrogen is such a common element, ronmental noise (50 percent), as well as courage its residents to buy these types of it can be produced from a number of sources saved 7,000 gallons of diesel gas each year. cars for private use. The county began by and in a number of ways. Hydrogen is clean Additionally, the county fleet also includes creating a “roadmap to sustainability,” de- burning, which means better air quality and two Toyota Prius, one Honda Civic and ten tailing its goals and the steps it would take reduced emissions of greenhouse gases. Ad- Ford Escape SUVs, all of which are hybrid to achieve them, including a greener fleet. ditionally, it improves energy efficiency. vehicles serving multiple operational func- Since 2006, the county has accumulated tions. The county has also staged demon- ten hybrid buses for public transportation. Biogas is produced when decomposition of strations for its citizens of plug-in hybrid These buses work with a combination of organic matter occurs without oxygen. Un- electric vehicle technology. Sarasota electricity and clean diesel fuel. The elec- like natural gases, which are made of about County has also been using B-5 biodiesel tric motors aid the engine with acceleration 70 percent methane, biogas contains a combi- for over a year and will be converting all and then are recharged as the bus is moving nation of methane, carbon dioxide, and small gasoline fueling stations to E-10 ethanol and also when it brakes. These batteries amounts of other gases. China already has soon. implemented biogas systems in rural communities, installing digesters in 8-17 million to buyers of zero emission vehicles, plug-in equipment that will remain in use for households to provide fuel for single-house- hybrid electric vehicles, and alternative fuel more than a year or two. hold use. After being compressed or lique- vehicles. Contra Costa County, California, fied, biogas can also be used as an alternative Atlantic County, New Jersey, and Buncombe Several counties have done an excellent job vehicle fuel in the same manner as is tradi- County, North Carolina all have been benefi- of incorporating green fleet management pol- tional natural gas. Like natural gas, biogas ciaries of grant and incentive offers to fund icies into existing systems. Alachua County, reduces vehicle emissions; however, unlike their programs. DOE has a tool to allow in- Florida for example, has resolved to consider natural gas, it is renewable and domestically dividuals to look up state incentives, which toxin emissions and energy when managing available. Additionally, this gas can be ob- can be used at www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/ fleets, laying out objectives in a comprehen- tained from landfills, and its removal makes incentives_laws.html. sive plan in order to achieve goals. La Plata it easier for counties to follow USEPA land- County, Colorado translated its strategic plan fill gas combustion requirements. Its pro- There are several new policies that may be into a detailed chart, explaining which ar- duction also has the added benefit of creating integrated into existing fleet management eas of climate protection it wanted to focus fertilizer as a by-product. DOE is currently systems in order to reduce fuel use: on and the steps it planned to take to meet sponsoring landfill gas research projects, and zzWhenever possible, ask employees to take each of these aims. For more information some European countries are researching in public transportation. visit NACo’s Green Government Database at this area as well. Worldwide, about 12,000 zzEvaluate the uses of the fleet and ensure www.greencounties.org. vehicles are using this fuel. that it is using the smallest possible vehicle for each job. zzKeep vehicles well maintained. zzEducate drivers: encourage them not to idle their cars, plan the most effective driving routes so as to minimize fuel us- age, and to always call ahead to make sure the trip is actually necessary in order to reduce travel. Additionally, encourage them not to speed; according to the Drive $marter Challenge, gas mileage decreases drastically over 60 miles per hour. zzReplace older vehicles when it no longer makes financial sense to maintain them. zzOffer electrification stations at truck stops so that truckers are able to operate necessary systems while parked without running their engines. zzExplore retrofit options to reduce emissions from existing diesel vehicles and Cellulosic feedstocks, such as agricultural and forestry residue, grasses, municipal wastes, and trees are more difficult to break down into basic, fermentable sugars, so the process is more complicated to make ethanol from these materials than from corn. The cellulosic feedstocks have to be broken down in size to make the process easier, and then pretreated by being broken down into basic sugars. Any remaining cellulose has to go through the process of hydrolysis in order to change it to glucose. The glucose is then fer- mented to convert it to ethanol broth. After this, the ethanol is separated from the other materials in the broth and dehydrated to remove any water. Although cellulosic ethanol is not currently commercially available, DOE General Motors, Chevy Impala is currently researching its production.

As more people choose alternative fuel ve- Conclusion hicles, the technology continues improving A county’s fleet accounts for a significant and more research is conducted. Future re- portion of costs and can contribute harmful search may focus on hydrogen fuel, biogas, pollutants to the environment. Through the and cellulosic ethanol. use of clean technologies and alternative fuel vehicles, a county can: zzlower fuel and maintenance costs; zzimprove fuel efficiency; and zzreduce emissions and serve as an example for private fleets who might consider emissions by 16 percent. In order to ensure similar steps. County Case Study: access to alternative fuels, Contra Costa Contra Costa County, California County has installed an on-site compressed Population: 948,816 natural gas fueling station and is investigat- County Case Study: County Seat: Martine ing the installation of an above-ground E85 ethanol tank. The county has 72 hybrids After evaluating its environmental impact, James City County, Virginia and 33 E85 ethanol vehicles. Its use of hy- Contra Costa County, California developed Population: 48,102 brid vehicles in 2007 saved 22,722 gallons a plan to make its fleet greener, focusing on of gasoline, $65,000 in fuel costs, and 200 County Seat: Williamsburg vehicles, fuels, and facilities. The county metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. James City County, Virginia created a set specific goals to increase its fleet size by timeline of goals to reduce petroleum ten percent each year. It has also installed Contra Costa County also met standards use, and has already done so by 10 particulate matter traps on several diesel for environmental evaluation programs for percent. The county has begun using vehicles. These physically trap particulate its vehicle maintenance facilities. During electric, propane, flex-fuel, and hybrid matter as exhaust gasses move through the process to qualify, the county began vehicles. It currently has 26 flex-fuel the filter and can reduce particulate matter using re-refined lubricants, self-filtering vehicles, which can run on either gaso- emissions by up to 90 percent. The county solvent tanks, non-aerosol solvents, and line or E85. It also has 14 hybrids and also converted diesel vehicles to B20 bio- closed loop vehicle washing, among other plan to increase that number by 11 be- diesel, and provides B20 fuel to other local improvements. The county’s use of refined fore the end of the 2008 fiscal year. The governments. and recycled fluids kept 5,700 gallons of Williamsburg Area Transit public trans- petroleum and ethylene glycol from enter- portation system runs on a blend of 50 Additionally, the county implemented the ing the waste stream. percent propane and 50 percent diesel use of compressed natural gas, electric, and and the county also has five Segways, propane vehicles. In 2007, Contra Costa To fund these initiatives, Contra Costa electrically-powered two-wheeled ve- replaced 17,500 gallons of gasoline with County has taken advantage of available hicles. In addition, James City County compressed natural gas, saving $42,000 incentives and has chosen options, such as evaluates its fleet to ensure that the right and reducing tailpipe emissions. In the compressed natural gas and hybrid cars, vehicles are being used to do the right same year, it replaced 13,200 gallons of that are less expensive than gasoline. jobs and it is trying to replace less effi- traditional diesel with biodiesel, reducing cient vehicles as regularly as possible. particulate matter and carbon monoxide This tool allows counties to compare ●●Additional emissions, prices, and maintenance costs ●●Founding/Lead Resources of hybrid and standard vehicles. It allows Green Government zzCenter for a New American either single vehicles or fleets of up to five Initiative Sponsors Dream vehicles to be evaluated. Founding sponsors of NACo’s Green www.newdream.org Government Initiative can assist you in This site allows a county to determine its zzU.S. Department of Energy’s greening your county fleet. ecological footprint and offers tips for im- Alternative Fueling Station proving the environment. Locator Diesel Technology Forum www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/sta- www.dieselforum.org zzClean Cities tions_locator.html The Diesel Technology Forum is a non- www1.eere.energy.gov/cleancities This search engine allows counties to find profit organization dedicated to raising This site contains information about pro- fueling stations in their area for alternative awareness about the progress and potential grams to reduce petroleum consumption, fuels. Use of this can help in determination of diesel technology in all applications. with helpful links to information about al- of the most appropriate fuel for a county. The Forum brings together a broad range ternative fuels. of diesel stakeholders including diesel us- zzU.S. Environmental ers, public & environmental interest groups zzNational Renewable Energy Protection Agency’s Green and government regulators to encourage Laboratory Vehicle Guide the exchange of information, findings and www.nrel.gov www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/Index.do;jse ideas about the current and future use of This site offers information on current op- ssionid=823022fe94c03d222a7c diesel technology. tions for alternative fuels and vehicles as This tool allows a county to search for well as ongoing research. vehicles to determine their impact on the General Motors environment. Counties can search for in- www.gm.com zzU.S. Department of Energy’s formation about a specific vehicle, a type General Motors (GM) is committed to Alternative & Advanced of vehicle, or simply to determine what the creating a cleaner, greener tomorrow, and Vehicles Cost Calculator greenest option would be. the proof is already on the road. GM of- www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/hy- fers 15 different cars and SUVs getting 30 brid_electric_calculator.html mpg or higher on the highway; more than 3 million FlexFuel vehicles on the road today that run on E85 ethanol; eight hybrid cars, trucks and SUVs offered in the 2008 calendar year; fuel cell propulsion technologies like the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell in cities like Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., that are part of the world’s largest test fleet of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles; and the innovative electric vehicle – the concept Chevy Volt, which is targeted to be in Chevy showrooms by the end of 2010. U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance www.uscommunities.org/gpa/green U.S. Communities, a government purchasing alliance of over 87,000 public agencies, is the premier strategic sourc- ing solution for environmentally friendly products and services. From ENERGY STAR to Envirochoice to Green Seal, U.S. Communities/Green has identified those items in its contracts that meet third-party environmental certification standards to help public agencies meet their responsible procurement needs. Counties may purchase products and services from a variety of suppliers, including AutoZone. About the NACo Green Government Initiative The NACo Green Government Initiative serves as a catalyst between local governments and the private sector to facilitate green government practices, products and policies that result in financial and environmental savings. Launched in 2007, the Initiative provides comprehensive resources for local governments on all things green, including energy, green building, air quality, transportation, water quality, land use, purchasing and recycling.

For more information contact Kelly Zonderwyk, NACo Senior Community Services Associate, at 202.942.4224 or [email protected].

25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW l Suite 500 l Washington, DC 20001 l 202.393.6226 l fax 202.393.2630 l www.naco.org