Mooresville, NC Possible EVSE Fire - Follow Up

To follow up from this blog a few weeks ago discussing a fire at a Mooresville, North Carolina home, it has been determined the fire was not related to an electric vehicle charging station error. Garland Cloer, the chief deputy fire marshal in the county of the house fire said this about the fire, “It’s still under investigation… It’s probably going to be the first of the year [2012] before we have a report.” (1) Duke Energy stated “it appears neither the plug-in car nor its plugged-in charger was to blame.” (2) A Chevrolet Volt was charging in the garage of the home when the fire took place. Until the cause of the fire had been determined, General Motors was offering a free loaner car to anyone who has concerns about their Chevy Volt.

(1) No Author Listed. (Nov 28, 2011). GM Offering Loaner Cars for Volt Owners Until Fire Cause Determined. WSOC Television. Retrieved from http://www.wsoctv.com/news/29872639/detail.html

(2) No Author Listed. (Dec 1, 2011). House Fire Investigators Say Chevy Volt Charger Not to Blame in North Carolina Blaze. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved from http://www.freep.com/article/20111201/BUSINESS0101/111201066/1330

Winston Salem Shuttles Back and Forth with No Emissions

The City of Winston Salem's Fleet Services has deployed a sporty new Vantage Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) for the Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, the city's entertainment and sports complex. The Fleet Services Division decided the NEV was a perfect fit to meet the unique needs of a sports entertainment facility. Since NEVs are zero tail pipe emissions and extremely quiet, they can drive the NEV indoors to help deliver supplies needed for events at the complex. Also, because it is street licensed, the NEV can be used to shuttle supplies from the Fleet Services office back to the sports complex, all without emitting tailpipe emissions. Even better is that the NEV can charge on a 110 volt outlet with no need of an EVSE.

Contact Vincent McAlexander at the City of Winston Salem for more information about their NEV: vincentm@cityofws.org or tel: 336-748-3960.

City of Rock Hill's CNG Station Open for Business

Rock Hill, SC - The City of Rock Hill, a Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs partner, held a day long "Open House" on November 1st where the City unveiled it's new Operations Center, as well as a brand new fast fill, compressed natural gas (CNG) station.

The CNG station is open to the public and is available 24/7 for fill ups. The City will also use the station for its fleet of CNG vehicles. “We’ve been using CNG in our vehicles for years and have never had any issues with it. We love using CNG because it saves our citizens money and doesn’t pollute like our old diesel trucks did” said Marty Burr, performance manager for the City of Rock Hill.

The City of Rock Hill received ARRA funds through the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program to fund a CNG station, E85 and biodiesel pumps and convert three additional vehicles to run on CNG.

For more information on this project, please contact Andrew Epting at aepting@energy.sc.gov or 803-737-4082.

Electric Vehicle Charging Safety

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE), known commonly as charging stations, are needed more and more as EV use increases. As with any electrical device, safety must be taken into consideration when using such devices. Just 30 miles north of Charlotte in Mooresville, North Carolina, a garage caught fire on October 30th. Thankfully there were no injuries. However, since the fire started in the garage near a Siemens’ EV charging station, Duke Energy cautioned other Siemen charging station owners to discontinue use until a full investigation has been concluded. Although it appears the fire may not have been EVSE related, it seems an appropriate time to ask “What can I do to be more educated on EVSE safety?"

There are many resources available to learn about EVSE safety:
First Responder Safety Training
The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium
EVSE Installation Best Practices
Clean Cities Webinar “Electric Vehicle Charging Levels and Requirements Overview”
Electric Vehicle and Infrastructure Codes and Standards Citations
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Review

The Multiplier Effect of CBS Projects

One of the many pluses of funding our Carolina Blue Skies projects are the far-reaching educational benefits these projects have in the communities around them. The alternative fuel stations funded by Carolina Blue Skies, such as the one at Magnolia Marketplace, daily remind customers of the benefits and options of using something other than petroleum to fuel our gas-guzzling vehicles. The case for E85 is now becoming more prominent on the minds of Duplin County residents thanks to the Elm 4-H Club who included a presentation on ethanol at the 2011 Duplin County Agribusiness Fair. It was all thanks to Lounell Mainor, owner of Magnolia Martketplace, (we profiled the grand opening on this blog back in June) made a visit to the Elm 4-H club and got them excited to pursue research on ethanol. The Elm club went on to win a “blue ribbon” prize for their presentation. Now residents have more opportunities to understand the benefits of using a domestically produced fuel, the generally lower cost as compared to gasoline, and the many Flex Fuel vehicle options they can now use.

Success: E85 Gas Station Customer Appreciation Event

The E85 Fueled with Pride & Customer Appreciation Event at the Fill Good BP in Waxhaw, North Carolina was a great success! On Saturday, October 1st the Fill Good BP gas station offered free food, lower gas prices, and vendor stations with free giveaways from 9:00am until 2:00pm. Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (CCFC), along with Carolina Blues Skies and Green Jobs Initiative project partner Monroe Oil, hosted this event. During the event CCFC’s Emily Parker and BP gas station owner Olin Furr joined the Mayor of Waxhaw, Daune Gardner, and Commissioner of the Town of Waxhaw, Phillip Gregory, for ribbon cutting ceremonies (all shown here, left to right).

**UPDATE Oct 21, 2011**

Check out the event coverage by The Charlotte Observer!

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/10/20/2708685/e85-fuel-station-opens-in-waxhaw.html

Spotlight on Project Partners

Kathy Boyer here, Program Manager for the Blue Skies Grant. It's quarter report time again, which puts us all in paperwork mode. But it also gives me the opportunity to brag on our Blue Skies project partners!

Last quarter we really ramped up our work. Projects got off the ground, proposals went in, environmental questionnaires got approved, and most importantly, people were able to go do the good work of reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

The whole point of this effort is to improve our quality of life, and I think the Federal Government has made a wise investment in green technology to help us do that. Yes, it's not a perfect system. Yes, it's been a learning curve for everyone. But the bottom line is, we've got more propane & natural gas, more biofuels, more electric vehicles...in short, more "non-foreign" sources of fuel out there in public and private fleets alike.

So here's a special shout-out to all our Blue Skies partners. You guys are the best.

Light Duty Hybrids Help Guilford County Fleet Operations Cut Fuel Costs in Half

Guilford County Fleet Operations has been actively using their five Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles for almost a year since receiving funds from Carolina Blue Skies project. Each vehicle is clocking in at about 1,500 miles of use every month. The county purchased six Toyota Prius vehicles (one with all county funds) and have converted their entire downtown motor pool to Advanced Technology Vehicles (7 Toyota Prius Hybrids and 2 Dodge Caravan Flex Fuel vans). Staff has been very receptive to the new technology and all are very pleased to see some of the aging vehicles in the motor pool replaced by more reliable and economical alternatives.

Fleet Operations Manager, Shane Inman, is finding that most of the Prius’ are averaging 50 mpg. The Fleet Operations Division uses a Prius Info Card to teach new hybrid drivers and fleet operations staff are also on hand to walk drivers through initial vehicle operation. Additionally, the hybrids use synthetic oil which is now replaced every 10,000 miles instead of every 5,000 miles. This is an additional savings to the county. Visit their project website.

Monroe Oil E85 Event: 10/1 in Waxhaw, NC

On Saturday, October 1 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm, Monroe Oil and the Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (CCFC) will host an E85 Fueled with Pride & Customer Appreciation Event at the Fill Good BP in Waxhaw, North Carolina.

Monroe Oil is the CCFC's sole Carolina Blues Skies and Green Jobs Initiative project partner that used project funding for alternative fuel infrastructure installation. The E85 pump (shown here) is operational at the Fill Good BP -which is conveniently located off of Providence Road in Waxhaw.

Please plan to join us at the Fill Good on October 1st! For more information, please contact Emily Parker at eparker@centralina.org or 704.688.6507.

Fill Good BP is located at 2508 Cuthbertson Road, Waxhaw, NC 28173, which is about 45 minutes southeast of Charlotte.

Greenville Zoo Charging Up.

Plug In Carolina has installed two new level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at the Greenville Zoo. The "Made in the Carolinas" Eaton Pow-R charging stations just two of the forty electric vehicle charging stations being installed in South Carolina from the Carolina Blue Skies and Green Job Initiative. Zoos and other entertainment locations are ideal locations for electric vehicle charging stations due to the relatively long parking times for patrons. Electricity for patrons using the electric vehicle charging stations is free. For more information about these or other charging stations in South Carolina, feel free to contact Andrew Epting at aepting@energy.sc.gov or 803-737-4082.

E-85 Gas Station Opens in Duplin County, 2nd in eastern North Carolina

[excerpted from WITN, reported by April Davis] The 16th ethanol E-85 gas station in the state opened on June 17, 2011, the second to open in eastern North Carolina. At the Magnolia Marketplace in Duplin County, just off of Interstate 40, flex fueled vehicles can now fill up with their intended alternative fuel. The E-85 fuel dispenser is the first one to open that's funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Organizers say it's important for these dispensers to continue to open across the state because ethanol fuel has a large potential to grow the economy of North Carolina.

"There's a lot of potential. There's never going to be potential that we'll produce petroleum in this county but there's great potential that we'll be able to grow the crops that make this fuel and that's what's exciting", said Anne Tazewell, N.C. State University.

The owner of the Magnolia Marketplace says having the dispenser open to the public is a 5-year dream come true.

Chatham Installs Biodiesel Tank with Carolina Blue Skies funding

Pittsboro, NC - Chatham County received $6800 as part of the "Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs Initiative", using it to purchase and install a 1000-gallon biodiesel fueling station at the county's garage. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel produced from vegetable oil or animal fats that is easily blended with petroleum diesel, typically at a 20% biodiesel 80% petroleum diesel ratio.



The Waste Management department began using B20 earlier this month in three of its recycling trucks. The department estimates it will reduce its annual usage of petroleum diesel by 2,500 gallons or more. The project also has a positive impact on the local economy. Chatham County currently obtains its biodiesel from Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro. In addition, the Waste Management department partners with Piedmont Biofuels to provide cooking oil recycling tanks and pick-up service at the county's 12 Collection Centers. Another recycling tank is located at the county's main Waste Management facility for any county resident, restaurant, or other small business. Teresa Chapham, Chatham's waste reduction coordinator says,

"Chatham residents and businesses can directly contribute to cleaner emissions in the county and support the local economy by recycling their used cooking oil. The oil is used locally to produce biodiesel, which is used to fuel our recycling trucks. It's also a great way to keep cooking grease out of the plumbing systems, as well as landfills in North Carolina".

The US Department of Energy reports that biodiesel also substantially decreases harmful emissions, and reduces visible smoke and noxious odors. "While our vehicles are equipped with emission controls, using the B20 blend will further reduce our fleet's negative impact on the air quality in Chatham", said Dan LaMontagne, Chatham County's solid waste director.

For more information on Chatham County's recycling programs contact Waste Management department at 919-542-5516.

NC Biofuels Center to Host Biofuels Status Report in Asheville

The NC Biofuels Center will host a discussion forum on the status of biofuels in western North Carolina on June 15th from 3-5pm at the North Carolina Arboretum (100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville NC). The discussion will explore the present status and future possibilities for meeting the 2017 goal of 10% of liquid transportation fuel used in NC coming from state-produced biofuels. Visit this website for more information and to RSVP.

Hybrid electric vehicles a big hit in Guilford County

Guilford County Fleet Services has been busy racking up the miles with their five Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles. Guilford County is the first sub-award to be actively using their vehicles under the Carolina Blue Skies Project. According to the Fleet Manager, Shane Inman, the Prius have quickly become the "vehicle of choice" at their motorpool since October 2010.

Ribbon-cutting! Welcoming new E85 station in Magnolia, NC

A ribbon-cutting event for Magnolia Marketplace will take place on June 17 from 10-11. Already in operation, the Marketplace is the first E85 station to open under the Carolina Blue Skies Project. The impetus for the project came from Magnolia native Lounell Mainor, who wanted to contribute to improving air quality in her immediate environment. Ms. Lounell is truly a visionary and pillar of her community. The ribbon-cutting is open to the public, and local and state leaders will be in attendance to celebrate the opening. 1486 S. Kenansville Byp, I-40 exit 373. Refreshments will be served. RSVP and more info: NC Solar Center, 919-515-0352 or alascur@ncsu.edu.

Middle School ready to begin 'No Idling' Program

[Click here for direct link to this story] The Center for the Environment's Campaign for Clean Air staff has been helping Kannapolis Middle School prepare for its "No Idling" campaign for parents who drop off and pick up their children at school. Campaign staff provided a "No Idling Toolkit" fr teachers and students involved in the program. Students in one classroom are responsible for collecting data about car idling at the school. As part of the planned media blitz, they will hand out air quality literature provided by the Campaign staff and explain the program and its purpose. Campaign staff has also provided the class with a CO2 monitor to students can see the differences in emissions between hybrid and gasoline cars.

Center for Environment Announces Champions for Clean Air

The Center for the Environment will honor three organizations in Rowan and Cabarrus counties this spring as Champions for Clean Air, including Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs partner, Centralina Council of Governments/Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition. The award recognizes their extraordinary commitment towards reducing harmful emissions during 2009 and 2010. An independent panel reviewed all submissions and selected the winners.

Drive Green Save Gr$$n - ecodriving training for individuals and fleet managers

An eco-driving workshop was held near Charlotte on May 25, 2011, presented by the North Carolina Solar Center's Clean Transportation program and hosted by the Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition. Drive Green Save Green drew in people like Annette Collins, a Belmont woman who was looking for a way to reduce her fuel spending. It also attracted people in the 'driver's seat' of entire fleets of vehicles, like those operated by Coca-Cola Bottling Company, various city and county offices, and a neighboring school district. The idea is that, by learning driving habits that optimize fuel efficiency, individuals and directors of fleets of any size can save money, reduce emissions, and reduce their use of imported petroleum. The workshop featured a series of presentations on improving fuel efficiency, followed by two test drives using a ScanGauge fuel usage meter (one of several options for fuel use tracking). On the first run the driver was not coached and was not given feedback on their efficiency. On the second, the passenger reiterated the tips learned in the workshop and gave the driver updates on fuel efficiency as they went. Even though the route was short, all but two drivers experienced notable fuel efficiency improvements between the drives, the largest being 7 miles per gallon! Contact the NCSC Clean Transportation program if you are interested in hosting a workshop: 919-513-7831, cleantransportation@ncsu.edu, www.cleantransportation.org.

[media coverage, Gaston Gazette, http://m.gastongazette.com/news/save-57817-gas-collins.html]

North Carolina Propane Roadshow -

On May 25, 2011 the Raleigh Expo Center was lined with an array of diverse looking vehicles, all with one thing in common - they were all powered at least in part with liquid propane fuel, or "autogas". A muscle car, a utility van, a rough-and-tumble Jeep, a souped up riding lawnmower, and a police cruiser were just a few features of the 5-hour event aimed at sharing information about autogas - its history, present offerings, and future developments waiting in the wings. But as the name suggests, the Roadshow was not just about "telling", it was also about "showing" how propane-fueled vehicles work. Several of the displays were available to test drive, including a few pick-up trucks and lawnmower models. Sadly, the Camaro was not among them, but still, the event met its goals. The Roadshow was hosted by NC Propane Gas Association, Propane Education & Research Council, Triangle Clean Cities Coalition, and Capital Ford. There were vehicles and/or displays from Roush, Bluebird, Clean Fuels USA, Alliance Autogas, the North Carolina Solar Center's Clean Transportation program, Ferrell Gas, Dixie Chopper, Blossman Gas, Capital Ford, and many more.

One Million Gallons Displaced: Announcing the Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs Initiative

Last year, US DOE Secretary Steven Chu and Vice President Joe Biden announced nearly $300 million in Clean Cities grants to support clean vehicles, fuels and infrastructure development. The Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), based near Raleigh, North Carolina, was among the 25 award recipients. The Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs Initiative was awarded just over $12 million and was designed to provide support for alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure projects by collaborating with five principal alternative fuel partners in the Carolinas: Triangle Clean Cities Coalition (TCCC), Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (CFCC), Land-Of-Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition (LOS-CVC), North Carolina Solar Center, and Palmetto State Clean Fuels Coalition (PSCFC). “We are excited to bring this opportunity to our stakeholders. In these tough economic times, it is vital to keep our focus on sustainable practices that will improve our environment and economy,” stated Kathy Boyer, coordinator for Triangle Clean Cities.

Carolina Blue Skies will include vehicles and fueling infrastructure for electric, hybrid-electric, CNG, LPG, E85, and biodiesel fuels and technologies. It has been estimated that this Initiative will displace nearly 3.7 million gallons of petroleum annually after full implementation while creating and preserving jobs and jumpstarting local economies in both North and South Carolina.

Alternative fuel use in North Carolina has grown significantly in the past decade. In 2008 alone, North Carolina Clean Cities stakeholders displaced the following gallon gas equivalent (gge): 723,400 gallons from B100; 1,623,975 from E85; 67,803 from CNG; 12,337 from NEVs; 16,271 from HEVs; 399,307 from biodiesel blends (B5 – B50), and 14,361 from LPG. North Carolina formed the NC Biofuels Center with the goal of using at least 10% locally produced biofuel by 2017, and has recently begun several initiatives to prepare for electric vehicles, including participating in the national Project Get Ready and pioneering other local programs. South Carolina is emerging as a leader in alternative transportation fuel infrastructure, fuel consumption, and fuel production in the southeast. In a state of 4.3 million people, South Carolina utilized 73,000,000 gallons of E85, 498,000 gallons of biodiesel, and 40,000 gallons of CNG in 2008. While significant progress has been made in recent years in both Carolinas, there is still more work to be done.

This Initiative will expand alternative fuel infrastructure in North Carolina by nearly 30% and will increase the number of alternative fuels stations by 20% in South Carolina. It will also improve air quality in both states. Currently, 24 counties in North Carolina are in non attainment or maintenance for National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and in South Carolina there will be projects in five of the six counties at risk for non- attainment for ground level ozone.


Projects in South Carolina
Nine organizations in South Carolina will share more than $4.2 million awarded through the South Carolina Budget and Control Board’s State Energy Office to convert vehicles to run on new fuels and to build the state’s network of alternative vehicle refueling stations.

A total of 341 vehicles will be refitted to operate with either propane, compressed natural gas (CNG) or hybrid technology. In addition, 68 refueling stations will be built to service these vehicles, most of which will be available for public use, including ethanol, biodiesel, propane and compressed natural gas facilities.

“These funds will reduce harmful emissions by promoting the use of alternative vehicles and creating jobs in our state,” Andrew Epting of the South Carolina Energy Office said.


Projects in North Carolina

Four North Carolina organizations will dispense nearly $7.8 million to twenty five recipients over the next four years for alternative fueling infrastructure and alternative fueled vehicles. The Triangle J Council of Governments and North Carolina Solar Center in Raleigh, NC, Land of Sky Council of Governments in Asheville, NC, and Centralina Council of Government in Charlotte, NC will all work to purchase or convert 164 vehicles to run on propane, compressed natural gas (CNG), biodiesel and hybrid technology.

The North Carolina projects will also plan to install 96 alternative fueling stations (including 80 charging stations), making biodiesel, propane, electric charging stations, and CNG more available to fleets and customers.


By the Numbers

12,004,175
million dollars to AFV/infrastructure development

3.7 million
Gallons of gasoline displaced per year after full implementation

300+
number of jobs created and retained in NC/SC (over 100 with Federal Funding)

Announcing......this blog!

Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs is a project led by Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG) with $12 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The initiative will provide for major expansion of alternative fuel vehicles and refueling infrastructure in North and South Carolina through the collaboration of Triangle Clean Cities Coalition, NC Solar Center, Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition, Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicle Coalition, and Palmetto State Clean Fuels Coalition. Representatives of these organizations will contribute to this blog, posting about news, events, technological developments pertinent to the project mission, and work being accomplished by project partners.

Currently, 24 counties in North Carolina are in non-attainment or maintenance for National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and in South Carolina there will be projects in five of the six counties at risk for non-attainment for ground level ozone. The initiative will benefit both states by lowering harmful emissions while creating local jobs.

Funding for the Carolina Blue Skies Program was provided by: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and U.S. Department of Energy - Clean Cities.

Calendar of Events

Partners

Advanced Energy

City of Asheville

BuildSense

Town of Cary

Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (principal)

City of Charlotte

Chatham County

Duke Energy

City of Durham

Farmers Telephone Coop

City of Fayetteville

God Bless the USA, Inc

City of Greensboro

Guilford County

Henderson County

City of Hendersonville

Town of Knightdale

Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition (principal)

Mainor Legacy Ventures LLC

Midlands Biofuels

Mission Hospital System

Monroe Oil

North Carolina Propane Gas Association

North Carolina Solar Center (principal)

Omar's Garage

OM Biofuels

Orange County

Palmetto State Clean Fuels Coalition (principal)

Piedmont Biofuels

Pike Electric

Plug-In Carolina

City of Raleigh

City of Rocky Mount

Smoak Irrigation

Spinx

Superior Services

Time Warner Cable

Triangle Clean Cities Coalition (principal)

University of South Carolina

City of Winston Salem

B20 and higher now available in Saxahapaw NC

The Saxahapa General Store is now host to a Piedmont Biofuels tank and biodiesel pump, both part of the Carolina Blue Skies Green Jobs initiative. The station offers blends of B20 and higher, and is available 24 hours per day and open to the public - users must join the Biofuels Cooperative to get their card key (www.biofuels.coop/). With this opening, drivers can fill up on clean, renewable fuel produced in Pittsboro NC.

Lyle Estill from Piedmont Biofuels spoke at the opening, as did State Representative Alice Bordsen and Alamanace County Commissioner Tom Manning.

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