Tought Leader
Clean Cities Can Help School Districts Go Green to Save Green
WRITTEN BY DENNIS A. SMITH I
t’s no secret that many school districts across the country routinely find themselves facing budget deficits, forcing administrators to get creative in order to stretch every dollar. One way to save money and help the environ- ment is to minimize the amount of gasoline or diesel used by your fleet. Whether transitioning to alternative fuels or improving the efficiency of existing buses through efficient driving and idle reduction, the U.S. Department of Ener- gy’s Clean Cities program can help school districts get the best bang for their buck.
Clean Cities has nearly 100 coalitions around the na- tion that can help local stakeholders, like school districts, navigate alternative fuel and advanced vehicle projects from start to finish. Te program also works at the national level to develop and promote partnerships, pub- lications and tools. It also offers technical assistance to identify the approach that works best for them, whether that involves a switch to alternative fuels, advanced ve- hicles, and/or idle-reduction measures. Our mission is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum use from transportation in communities from coast to coast.
GETTING STARTED You can connect with your local Clean Cities coalition
through the “Find My Coalition” tool on the Clean Cities website (
cleancities.energy.gov/coalitions). Your local coalition coordinator is your primary contact to help determine the best option for your fleet, then assist you in developing and implementing a strategic plan for completing the project. In addition to receiving individualized assistance, your local Clean Cities coalition can provide other benefits as well, such as: • Case studies detailing success stories from other fleets • Interactive, data-driven online tools to help you eval- uate vehicle, fuel, and technology options and achieve goals
• Networking opportunities with fleets and industry partners who have experience in alternative fuels and advanced vehicles.
FUNDING YOUR PROJECT If you’re unsure of how to fund an alternative fuel or
advanced vehicle project for your school district, contact your local Clean Cities coalition. Coordinators can walk fleet managers through the finances of a project, from the incremental cost of a vehicle to the potential amount
42 School Transportation News • JULY 2016
a fleet manager may save on fuel. Many alternative fuels have a very reasonable return on investment. A recent Clean Cities case study (
afdc.energy.gov/ uploads/publication/case-study-propane-school-bus- fleets.pdf) describes how school districts that adopted propane school buses have saved nearly 50 percent on a cost-per-mile basis for fuel and maintenance. Te fleets profiled had a five- to eight-year payback for both the vehicles and infrastructure. In addition to analysis, our coordinators are a valuable re-
source to help you identify and apply for funding opportu- nities at the local, state and federal levels. Districts can also do their own research with our online Federal and State Laws and Incentives search tool at
afdc.energy.gov/ laws/search) on DOE’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) website.
MAKING YOUR PROJECT RUN SMOOTHLY Clean Cities stakeholders benefit from access to tech- nical experts that have helped fleets and fuel providers deploy hundreds of thousands of alternative fuel vehicles and fueling stations over the years. Some of our techni- cal assistance resources include:
• A Comprehensive, Data-Driven Collection of Information: Quickly find answers and objective information on the ADFC (
afdc.energy.gov) and
FuelEconomy.gov (
fueleconomy.gov).
• Specialized Educational Toolkits: Achieve buy-in, educate, and engage fleet managers, drivers, and other decision makers in your district using our print prod- ucts, templates, and presentations.
• Clean Cities Technical Response Service: Call or email your question to one of our technical experts who will help you find answers to questions about alterna- tive fuels, fuel economy improvements, idle-reduction measures, advanced vehicles and Clean Cities-related resources.
• Clean Cities Tiger Teams: Get on-the-ground assis- tance from a technical expert to overcome obstacles that may arise when deploying alternative fuels and advanced vehicles.
Clean Cities can help you evaluate cleaner alternatives, make an impact in your community, and improve your bottom line in the process. Please contact your local coalition to learn more. ●
Dennis A. Smith is the director of National Clean Cities in the Vehicle Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S.
Department of Energy. He is based in Washington, D.C.
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