by Jeff Twardy | Jan 22, 2016 | Articles, January 2016 Newsletter
The Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities(PRCC) celebrated its’ 20th Anniversary in the DOE Clean Cities Program at its’ 6th Annual Odyssey Day held at the Community College of Allegheny County, West Hills Center in Oakdale, PA on October 16, 2015. PRCC recognized some of its’ original members from companies like the City of Pittsburgh, CNG Services of Pittsburgh(now CNG/LNG International), Columbia Gas of Pittsburgh, CP Industries, Equitable Gas, Giant Eagle, Roach & Associates, SUNOCO and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. All who are still members. PRCC also recognized some of its’ new members like Constellation, Range Resources, Shale Media Group, REV LNG, Beemac Trucking, Star Transportation Group, PIOGA, “O” Ring CNG Fueling, UPMC, ProGas Inc, FYDA Freightliner of Pittsburgh, Penn Power Group, Bluebird of Pittsburgh, Duquesne Light, Dean Honda, Jeff’s Performance Plus and CCAC. Darren Stevenson, DOE Mid Atlantic Region Program Manger presented PRCC Executive Director Rick Price with a plaque for its 20 years participation on the DOE Clean Cities Program....
by Jeff Twardy | Jan 22, 2016 | Articles, January 2016 Newsletter
NOVEMBER 22, 2015—Naval architectural and marine engineering firm The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI), Seabrook, TX, will join with Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities (PRCC) and Clean Fuels Clean Rivers (CFCR) to conduct a marine air quality study centered on the conversion of an inland towboat to dual fuel diesel/liquid natural gas (LNG) to reduce diesel emissions in marine vessels. This past October, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) announced it had awarded a $730,000 Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance Program (META) grant to the CFCR coalition to convert a towboat’s diesel engine to burn LNG. The META Program is administered by MarAd’s Office of Environment and is designed to foster collaboration with maritime stakeholders to address emerging environmental challenges. Results from towboat conversion demonstration project will help expand the development and availability of natural gas conversion technology for smaller scale tug, tow, and harbor vessels. PRCC will collect air emissions data before and after the conversion, which will allow for operational and emissions comparisons. The CFCR goal is to research and develop the technology to allow marine operators to use a clean burning alternative to diesel. This in turn allows them to meet new EPA emission requirements and reduce environmental impact to the inland waterways. “We are excited about receiving the first grant of its kind from MarAd,” says Rick Price, Executive Director of PRCC. “Our selection highlights the quality partnerships the PRCC has developed over the years. We look forward to leading the way in the national effort to conduct environmentally responsible marine operations on our Nation’s river systems.” TSGI will be providing naval architecture services for the conversion of...
by Jeff Twardy | Jan 22, 2016 | Articles, January 2016 Newsletter
Green Bridge Technologies, LLC (GBT), the new CNG division of leading LPG system supplier ICOM North America, is launching their new brand with a 30-day road trip that includes a stop here in Pittsburgh in conjunction with our Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities Coalition meeting on Wednesday February 24th. GBT representatives will be driving a dedicated CNG Chevy Trax® featuring Crazy Diamond Performance™ technology. The Trax® is a compact SUV with the fuel economy of a car and the versatility of a full size SUV. Its highly efficient and super clean 1.4L turbo-charged engine delivers 130Hp/150ft-lb torque and, with 35/25mpg (hwy/city) fuel economy, its 8.5GGE fuel capacity easily translates into a range of 240-250+ miles. EPA certification to Tier 2 Bin 2 emissions levels is pending. GBT’s other initial dedicated CNG vehicle line-up includes Chevy’s Cruze® and Sonic®, both featuring GM’s 1.8L engine and 8.5GGE fuel capacity. Additional GM platforms are in development and certification testing. GBT’s launch starts with participation at the Transportation Energy Partner’s Energy Independence Summit slated for February 8th-10th in Washington, DC, followed by road trip stops up the Mid-Atlantic coast, then heading west through upstate New York and down through Pittsburgh before heading on to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Steve Tborra Managing Director of Yborra & Associates LLC will also becoming along and speaking at the PRCC Stakeholder Meeting that...
by Jeff Twardy | Jan 22, 2016 | Articles, January 2016 Newsletter
Recently, the AVT met with Richard Price, the Executive Director of PRCC, to discuss potential collaborations that will promote clean fuel solutions for consumer and commercial vehicles. The AVT’s Camaro will be a hybrid-electric vehicle using E85 ethanol fuel. Price discussed the many CNG, propane, E85, and electric vehicle solutions that PRCC has provided to numerous companies and institutions including UPS. The AVT will be attending several of the PRCC events throughout 2016 so keep an eye...
by Jeff Twardy | Jan 22, 2016 | Articles, January 2016 Newsletter
Proud to announce that the Pittsburgh Business Times named Janet Lauer, Director, 3 Rivers Clean Energy and Richard Price, Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities executive director, among this year’s “Who’s Who in Energy Advocacy and Education.” Click Here to Read...
by Jeff Twardy | Jan 22, 2016 | Articles, January 2016 Newsletter
December 17, 2015. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental is offering rebates of up to $2,000 to state residents who have purchased alternative fuel vehicles in the past six months. The program includes $2,000 rebates for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with battery capacities of 10 kWh or more. Eligible models include the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Volt, and similar models from BMW and Tesla. The rebates are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be available until the 250 rebates are given out or through June 30, 2016. The state also is offering $1,000 rebates for cars with battery capacities of less than 10 kWh, such as the Toyota Prius plug-in, Ford C-Max Energi, Ford Fusion, and Honda Accord and for compressed natural gas vehicles, propane-fueled vehicles and hydrogen or fuel cell vehicles. The DEP also is offering $500 rebates for electric scooters, ATVs, or other low-speed electric vehicles. Consumers can submit rebate applications up to six months from the date of purchase. Leased vehicles aren’t eligible, and vehicles must have an odometer reading less than 500 miles at time of...
