VERMONT CLEAN CITIES COALITION
Hosted by UVM Transportation Center

eNewsletter 9.18.07

Your clearinghouse for news, programs, and funding related to
reducing the consumption of petroleum for transportation in Vermont

In This Issue

VCCC Announcement

Article Headline

Bike & Ped

Alternative Modes

Survey

What should Vermont Clean Cities be doing?
(4-question survey)

Quick Links

Previous eNewsletter

Newsletter archive
VCCC website

Clean Cities Announcements

-The Vermont Clean Cities Coalition is supporting several upcoming events which you are encouraged to attend, including:

3rd Annual Biodiesel Workshop, October 10 (see Events below)

Roundtable on the potential for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in Vermont, November 14 (see next story)

Conference on Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles on December 11 (more details to come)

-We are available to partner with you on your events and are a great resource for assisting with grantwriting. For more information, contact the Vermont Clean Cities Coordinator, Karen Glitman: karen.glitman@uvm.edu or 656-8868.

-Vermont Clean Cities staff tabled at the recent Shelburne Farms Harvest Festival. The Coalition has literature and a poster on the Clean Cities program, alternative fuel vehicles, and other Clean Cities mission-related materials available for your use at similar events.

Fuels

Vermont Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle study Phase 1

The host of the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition, the UVM Transportation Center, is committed to providing original, objective research to understand issues around plug in hybrid electric vehicles, in collaboration with Vermont's electric utilities and with Dr. Steve Letendre of Green Mountain College. Phase 1 of the research, concerned with assessing existing research and developing the research methods for this study, is underway. Comments to the working paper for Phase 1 is available as a PDF here. Comments are welcome, preferably by September 19.

A roundtable discussion on the draft results from the data collection and analysis is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, November 14, 1:30pm at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont.

[Source: UVM Transportation Center]

	Fuels
Casella plans waste-to-biofuels production Rutland-based Casella Waste Systems has entered into an agreement with Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc., to develop facilities which would convert waste into liquid biofuels in New England and Vermont. [Source: CNNMoney]

	Fuels
Ethanol partly blamed for dairy farmer troubles At a recent agriculture event, attendees blamed dry weather and corn prices - driven by ethanol demand - for this year's high dairy expenses. Hope was expressed that as technology for cellulosic ethanol matures, corn prices will come back down. [Source: WCAX]

	Bike & Ped
Safe routes to school (Windham County) Readsboro Elementary School, Green Street School in Brattleboro, and Putney Central School will all be assesssing how to get kids safely to school by walking or biking. Windham Regional Commission and funds from the Vermont Agency of Transportation are assisting in these efforts. [Source: Brattleboro Reformer]

	Alternative Modes
Carsharing makes it to Vermont (Middlebury) Middlebury College has begun offering Zipcars as an alternative to bringing personal cars on campus. Two hybrid cars, through Zipcar, are now available for an hourly rate of $8. [Source: Middlebury Campus]

Policy Watch

Vermont wins emissions case
A federal judge ruled in favor of Vermont on all counts in the precedent-setting case which pitted automaker emissions standards against states' abilities to regulate emissions. Judge Sessions rejected each of the arguments offered by the automakers:

Federal law pre-empts states from setting fuel economy standards, and regulating emissions is tantamount to regulating fuel economy:

Sessions wrote that fuel economy is not the only way the automakers can meet emissions standards.

Also, the EPA can now regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Since the EPA can also allow California to set its own standards, and California rules will have the status of federal regulations, there is no pre-emption.

Insufficient technology to improve mileage by rule date (2016).

Sessions wrote that, as auto manufacturers have admirably met technological challenges in the past, it was improbable that it could not do so in this instance.

Vermont's rules would have no effect on global climate change.

Sessions wrote that the enormity of a global challenge is exactly the reason to act on a number of fronts, "however incomplete when viewed individually."

[Sources: Burlington Free Press 9/13, 9/17, New York Times, Washington Post, San Jose Mercury News, Forbes, Detroit Free Press]

	Policy Watch
Preview of upcoming VT House priorities Vermont House Speaker Gaye Symington identified her key transportation issues at a meeting with local legislators, including federally-aided investment in rail, roads and bridges, and a 'fix-it-first' mentality in agreement with the Governor's. [Source: Eagle Times]

Best regards,

Elaine Wang, Graduate Student Research Intern
Vermont Clean Cities Coalition

Funding

Closing date	Coverage, description, eligibility.
9/27/07 [View]	Chittenden County: Consultant services. Regional Ped/Bicycle Plan update.
9/28/07 [View]	Vermont: Municipal Planning. Towns eligible.
10/4/07 [View]	Statewide: Consultant services. Short range public transportation plans.
10/15/07 [View]	Regional: Environment.
11/2/07 [View: see page 77]	Federal: Biobased products and bioenergy production research. Letter of Intent due 11/2/07. Applications due 1/17/08.
11/27/07 [View]	Regional: Sustainable Communities. Non profits, instiutions and municipalities eligible.
4/11/08 [View]	Federal: Agriculture. Enhancing the competitiveness of specialty crops. State governments eligible.

Events

9/19, Wed Brattleboro	Community supported renewable energy forum 7pm, Marlboro College Graduate Center Speaker: Greg Pahl, followed by panel discussion. Info: 869-2141.
9/27, Thu Webinar	The Fleet Solution: Light-duty Vehicle Options 1:30pm EST Product presentations from leading OEMs. Register here.
10/10, Wed Burlington	3^rd Annual Biodiesel Workshop Davis Center, University of Vermont Info here
10/12-13 Manchester, NH	Global Warming & Energy Solutions Radisson Hotel Info here
10/17 Burlington	2007 Renewable Energy Conference Sheraton Burlington Hotel. Info here
10/3-25 Burlington	Community Matters07 Main Street Landing Info here

Weekly
Petro-
Stats

	Gas at the pump, VT [Source]	Crude oil futures [Source]
This week (Sep 12-18)	$2.779/gallon	$80.714/barrel
Last week (Sep 5-11)	$2.787/gallon	$76.890/barrel