the leading source of energy for a majority of transportation departments. Te switch to another alternative fuel for school districts is hindered by money. Budgets are tight. Purchasing the latest buses and building a new infrastructure re- quires a lot of cash on hand. As opposed to forfeiting, though, districts are constantly on the hunt for funding options in order to make the move, many of them landing the necessary subsidies through grants. Enter the National Clean Cities program. Created by the U.S. Department of Ener-


SPECIAL REPORT


Granting The Funds As the push toward alternative fuels grows stronger, school districts nationwide seek funding opportunities and assistance to help with the transition


WRITTEN BY SEAN GALLAGHER Y


ou’ve seen it, that smoky brown cloud hovering over cit- ies, dimming the sky, making the air taste metallic. You’ve


heard its name uttered countless times: Smog, the plague of the urbanized world. Social progress, it seems, comes at a cost. Te consequence of massive population


growth and infrastructure advancement is the rise of air pollution, that, to drop another buzz word, is a contributing factor of greenhouse gases, which, to kick the hornet’s nest, plays a significant role in climate change. Whether you believe that climate change is the result of human activity or simply cyclical, its impact is diversely affecting billions of lives across the planet through rising temperatures and fluctuat- ing weather patterns. Whichever side of the debate you’re fall on, school districts throughout the U.S. are looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact.


36 School Transportation News • JULY 2016


Scientists for decades have pushed for the drastic reduction of greenhouse gases and air pollution output. Headway in the matter has been slow. Te 21st century was built around the use of a leading polluter, fossil fuels. In recent years, an international move- ment to decrease fossil fuel use through environmentally conscience technologies and programs have dominated both gov- ernmental and organizational policy. Te transition from traditional energy to alternative sources is a gradual process. It takes patience. It takes a force of will. Tere’s also precedent. Without fossil fuels, a number of industries would grind to a halt as there’s no reliable substitute found in abundant quantities immediately available. One such industry that would be ad-


versely affected by a sudden change would be student transportation and its lifeblood, diesel. While a few scattered districts nationwide have been able to switch to alternative fueling options, diesel remains


gy, the Clean Cities push for economic, en- vironmental and energy security is powered by the support of local, state and national coalitions to cut dependence on petroleum use in transportation across the country. Tis includes building partnerships


between public- and private-sector trans- portation stakeholders with businesses, fuel providers, vehicle fleets, state and local government agencies and community organizations. According to its website, “Clean Cities


has saved more than 7.5 billion gallons of petroleum since its inception in 1993.” Erik Hyrkas, a media relations specialist for U.S. Department of Energy, identified the best way for a school district to work with Clean Cities is to connect with its local coalition.


“Clean Cities coalitions work with school districts to minimize petroleum use, greenhouse gases, and other harmful emissions,” Hyrkas said. “Using alternative fuels, limiting idling, and improving fuel economy can save school districts money, reduce their contribution to climate change and protect students’ health.” He added that Clean Cities focuses on


providing objective information, deci- sion-making tools and other technical assistance to fleets, as well as provide financial incentives to support vehicle and infrastructure deployment. “Te Energy Department issues funding


opportunity announcements to competi- tively select cost-shared projects,” he said. While Clean Cities pushes for alterna-


tives fuels, it doesn’t stipulate which option schools seek out, since “Clean Cities is fuel neutral. Tere are fuels of choice in each state based on the fuel which is most readily available,” said Robin Erickson, executive


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