applications, requesting $127 million,” Squire said. “What the pilot project showed was we could do this program more than 12 times over this year alone and there would still be more needs.” Applications were first ranked based on the size of the air district, giving priority to schools located in small air districts. Tey were then ranked based on the age of the school bus (not fleet) and the miles it had accrued. Each application was for one project or one bus. More than 160 applications fell into that category with 29 being chosen for the second round. Te process was split into two parts. A simple Part A application encouraged schools to apply while saving them upfront time and work. Part B is the larger part of the application and those districts chosen for the second round com- pleted it in late May. “If there are any dropouts then we’ll move up applications from farther down the list,” Squire added. Squire said she believes the number of applications proves the
program’s value and sends a clear signal that it deserves an extend- ed life, particularly as it dispelled some persistent doubts about the performance of renewable fuels and zero-emissions vehicles. “We had a lot of ‘this won’t work’ early on, but for us it was an oppor- tunity to show people, ‘yes, it will.’ We turned a negative into a positive with a webinar and other public education,” she said. “We thought we’d get very few applications for zero-emission or all-electric buses from small districts, but what we found was completely the opposite.” Squire said another result of the pilot project was the demon-
stration that a small air quality district from a rural area could successfully oversee such a program. While 2017-2018 funding had yet to be determined at this writing, Squires said she is hopeful the project will continue.
ENCOURAGING BULK ORDERS In Arizona, the Pima Association of Governments through its
Tucson Regional Clean Cities Coalition is overseeing a pilot project to consolidate bulk orders of alternative fuel vehicles and infrastruc- ture for better pricing opportunities. It’s one of five U.S. regional projects and one national procurement initiative under Fleets for the Future, a national partnership of the National Association of Regional Councils and U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities. Colleen Crowninshield, the coalition’s alternative fuels specialist and manager, said the project is seeking grant applicants in western states seeking for new purchases or retrofits. “We hope to have the RFP on the street by the end of July with a quick turnaround of a few weeks,” said Crowninshield, adding the project was extended by one year to December 2018 in response to delays in developing guidelines. She said she is hopeful for sufficient interest to warrant the procurement of natural gas and propane vehicles or bulk retrofitting to electric.
Colleen Crowninshield
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