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eNewsletter 10.31.07
Your clearinghouse for news, programs, and funding related to
reducing the consumption of petroleum for transportation in Vermont
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Events
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12/6 - Seminar: Critical Issues in Transportation for the 21st Century [View]
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12/11 - Conference: The Future of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles [View] | |
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Clean Cities Activities Survey
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Vermont Clean Cities Coalition Activities Survey will be closing soon.
Please let us know what we should be doing that would be useful to you!
Click here to participate in our 4-question survey. Thank you! |
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Fuels
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Cellulosic ethanol development firm in Vermont?
 Mascoma
Corp., a firm working on developing cellulosic ethanol currently based
in Massachusetts, is considering a relocation either to New Hampshire
or Vermont. The Vermont Economic Progress Council is offering the
company $1.6 million in job creation incentives to build a research and
development facility in Vermont. [Source: Burlington Free Press] |
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Fuels
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 From grease to biodiesel (St. Albans)
Lumber
and hardware company Sticks & Stuff in St. Albans makes its own
biodiesel from restaurant grease that they pick up twice a week. They
run the biodiesel in a blend in their heavy equipment and delivery
trucks. [Source: St. Albans Messenger]
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Fuels |
Biodiesel: Part of farmer's climate change strategy
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farmer at a recent Windham County Farm Bureau panel said that helping
with a biodiesel cooperative and using biodiesel to run his tractors
are part of his way of doing his part to slow climate change. [Source: Brattleboro Reformer]
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Fuels
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Green Mountain Power encourages hybrids
 Green
Mountain Power is now offering cash incentives to employees for
purchasing a hybrid electric vehicle. The incentives are $1,500 for a
new car and $750 for a used vehicle. [Source: Green Mountain Power;
press release here]
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Fuels |
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Universities acknowledged
University
of Vermont and Middlebury College have both been recognized for their
environmental efforts in part because of their vehicle-greening
initiatives using compressed natural gas and electric power sources.
[Source: UVM, Time Argus]
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Idling |
Implementing
an idling reduction program can be difficult. Luckily, there are
success stories to be learned from. The city of Richmond,
British Columbia, successfuly reduced fleet idling by:
- Organizing the key playersin the workplace
- Convening trainings to educate these players
- Taking action as a team (e.g. asking employees for input as to how to implement the policy)
- Discussing idling as a health issue for employees and the public
The full presentation, with many more ideas, is available here. |
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Policy Watch |
Governor's Commission on Climate Change report - Transportation items
The
Vermont Governor's Commission on Climate Change report last week
highlighted transportation as a key area of emissions that should be
addressed. The most prominent recommendations were around
transit-oriented growth patterns, alternative modes of transportation,
and climate-friendly vehicles. Read the full report here. [Sources: Brattleboro Reformer, Burlington Free Press]
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National Clean Cities News |
Clean
Cities is a program run by the U.S. Department of Energy with city,
regional, or state level coalitions. The national Clean
Cities report recently released showed that about 375 million
gallons of gasoline were displaced through Clean Cities
Coalition efforts in 2006. Alternative fuel vehicles accounted for
71% of the displacement. The coalitions were also able to leverage 165
grants worth a total of $87.3 million. Through outreach
activities, coordinators reached an estimated 21 million people. Read
the full report here. [Source: Clean Cities Now] |
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Bike & Ped
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- Central Vermont - Regional marketing program highlights biking. [Times Argus]
- South Burlington - Pedestrian-oriented housing project. [WCAX]
- Statewide - 22 schools receive Safe Routes to Schools infrastructure grants. [Rutland Herald]
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Rail |
- Statewide - Gateway Rural Improvement Pilot Association gathers support for western corridor. [Manchester Journal, WCAX, Rutland Herald]
- Middlebury - Derailment raises safety concerns for current rail lines. [Addison Independent]
- Statewide - Millions needed to upgrade railways to accomodate modern freight cars. [VPR]
- Bellows Falls - Upgraded tunnel officially opens. [Brattleboro Reformer]
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Best regards,
Elaine Wang, Graduate Student Research Intern
Vermont Clean Cities Coalition,
University of Vermont Transportation Center
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| Funding |
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Closing date |
Coverage, description, eligibility. |
11/2/07 [ View: see page 77]
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Federal: Biobased products and bioenergy production research.
Letter of Intent due 11/2/07. Applications due 1/17/08. |
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11/27/07 [View] |
Regional: Sustainable Communities.
Non profits, instiutions and municipalities eligible. |
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Federal: Hydrogen education development.
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Weekly
Petro-
Stats
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Gas at the pump, VT [Source] |
Crude oil futures [Source] |
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This week (Oct 24-30) |
$2.869/gallon |
$90.666/barrel |
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Last week (Oct 17-23) |
$2.808/gallon |
$86.494/barrel | |
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