Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "california air resources board"

Sacramento Area Grant Program for Diesel Reductions Popular in 2010

2010-12-14T19:43:04Z

SECAT (Sacramento Emergency Clean Air & Transportation Grant Program) had a banner year in 2010, closing out the application process early due to “overwhelming response” and ending its first decade with over $75 million already allocated to help replace on-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles in the Sacramento area with lower emission vehicles.

Created by California Assembly Bill 2511 to help the Sacramento region meet its air quality attainment commitments under the State Implementation Plan (SIP), SECAT is a partnership between Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) that provides grant funds to replace on-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles that have 2002 or older engines. Participants in the program are refunded for either replacing the entire vehicle, or in some cases, the engine alone. The outcome, in either case, results in cleaner emission vehicles on Sacramento area streets and highways.

“This year was especially busy compared to past years for several reasons,” explained Kristian Damkier, Associate Air Quality Engineer with SMAQMD, going on to list “increased demand for 2010-compliant technology, ARB rule compliance deadlines, and lack of other regional funding opportunities," as reasons. Due to these and other possible inputs, Damkier explained, SECAT "received far more applications than funding which prevented us from funding all projects.”

SECAT incentive funds are expected to be available again in October thanks to anticipated additional funding of $3-4 million from the federal Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality (CMAQ) program, with additional comparable annual funding through 2018.

Since its inception, SECAT has relied on external funding to support its particulate-decreasing initiatives. In 2000, the program received $70 million; and in 2007, received additional funding from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program. SECAT anticipates receiving CMAQ funding periodically through 2018, allowing its program to continue toward its ultimate goal of air quality attainment by reducing the nitrogen oxide emissions in our air from heavy-duty vehicles to meet the 2019 federal 8-hour ozone standard.

A variety of heavy-duty vehicles are eligible for SECAT upgrades and exchanges, such as refuse trucks, delivery vehicles, cement trucks, freight-haulers, transit and school buses and most vehicles over 14,000 lbs. And while the amount of incentive funds awarded per truck depends on several factors, the money a diesel-engine owner will receive goes a long way toward making CARB compliance more financially palatable.

How much of a refund can a Sacramento area diesel-engine owner expect to receive from SECAT when replacing a 2002 or older engine with a cleaner emission vehicle? According to information on their website, SECAT funding varies from $40,000 - $100,000, depending on compliance-year achieved, NOx reductions, or number of compliant trucks involved in the purchase.

A recent story in Sac Press by Tony Sheppard referenced a Forbes lists that placed Sacramento at sixth place for short-term particle pollution in a metropolitan area. SECAT, with the cooperation of local on-road heavy-duty diesel vehicle owners and operators, is working hard to change that.

Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase Announces Keynote Speaker Daniel Sperling

2009-10-03T01:39:34Z

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase keynote speaker Daniel Sperling is an internationally-renowned expert on transportation, energy and sustainability issues. In December he co-authored the book Two Billion Cars which projects that within 20 years the number of motor vehicles on the planet will double from its current total of one billion due primarily to growth in India and China.

Sperling is a Professor of Engineering and Environmental Science & Policy at the University of California, Davis, and Founding Director of the university's Institute of Transportation Studies. He also serves on the California Air Resources Board, chairs the Future of Mobility Council of the Davos World Economic Forum, and has authored 10 books and over 200 technical papers and reports on transportation and energy.

Recently, The Clean Tech staff sat down with Dan Sperling to discuss the future of green technologies in the Sacamento region and the upcoming Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase.

CleanTech: How important will green technologies be to the economic growth of the Sacramento region?

Dan Sperling: Green technologies could provide a large economic boost to the Sacramento area. UC Davis and Sacramento State provide the knowledge base and, very importantly, the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs needed to build green technology companies. Angel and venture capital investors are key to launching entrepreneurial start-ups, while larger biotech and IT companies have the resources to expand their Sacramento initiatives.

CleanTech: Can you give us a preview of your keynote address?

Dan Sperling: We need to transform our vehicles, fuels, and mobility systems if we are to significantly reduce oil use and greenhouse gases. It is less a question of cost than vision, leadership, and will. Most vehicles of the future will be powered by electricity, hydrogen and biofuels. Such a future transportation system would be very efficient and could be very low carbon.

The two places with the most troublesome emissions problems - California and China - are taking the lead in developing effective strategies that can help wean us from our reliance on conventional, petroleum-fueled cars.

California's embrace of eco-friendly policies, supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and China's willingness to confront the twin environmental and energy crises wrought by exponential growth in cars, suggest that if they can develop ingenious and effective solutions, there really is reason for hope.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase features some of the nation's key thought leaders on green and clean technology. It is the ideal venue to network with experts, explore new technologies, navigate regulations and examine workforce concerns.

The Clean Tech Showcase will be held Friday, October 16 at Sacramento State University. For more information or to register, visit www.cleanstart.org.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase is produced by CleanStart, an initiative of SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance) designed to accelerate the development of clean technology ventures within the Greater Sacramento Region. SARTA is a non-profit organization founded to foster entrepreneurial growth and attract investment capital to the greater Sacramento region.

Join the Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase Facebook Page

Amtrak locomotive gets an eco-makeover

2009-07-23T07:20:19Z

California's air may start to look a little cleaner, thanks to the California Department of Transportation and its project partners.

Caltrans's revolutionary "green locomotive" debuted Wednesday morning at the Amtrak Sacramento Valley station.

Members of Caltrans and its project partners assembled within the train station at a press release to make statements regarding the new locomotive, considered a major step toward reducing California's carbon footprint.

It is one of the 15 F59PHI model locomotives owned by Caltrans and operated by Amtrak that is now installed with a 710ECO Repower upgrade package. The package is said to consist of the latest microprocessor-controlled locomotive engine technology for lower emissions, increased fuel economy and predictable maintenance costs.

The F59PHI models were initially built by Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. in October 2001 to meet Tier 0 Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards, the minimum EPA requirement for fuel emissions from passenger locomotives.

James Goldstene, executive officer of the California Air Resources Board, explained that in other words, the newly-installed technology in the F59PHI model makes the engine run cooler and uses fuel more efficiently, allowing the locomotive to advance from Tier 0 to Tier 2 EPA emission standards, resulting in a 50 percent reduction of operating emissions.

Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson said that the development is "an illustration of our willingness to work with anyone and everyone to clean up the air for Sacramentans." He added that climate change and global warming is an issue that must be addressed at the local level by communities, and that the newly-introduced technology makes riding the train a "smarter and better" decision than ever before.

Following the statements, the representatives of Caltrans, the EPA and other organizations descended into the tunnel beneath the Sacramento Valley rail tracks, resurfacing to stop and admire the "green locomotive."

The retrofitted model has already begun operating on the intercity passenger rail service Capitol Corridor between Sacramento and the Bay Area as of three weeks ago.

The Capitol Corridor serves the Sierra Foothills in addition to Sacramento and the Bay area, and it is operated by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority in partnership with Caltrans and Amtrak.

Along with Amtrak California’s Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin intercity rail line, Capitol Corridor is the third busiest rail line in the nation with a ridership of 1.7 million.

Capitol Corridor alone is responsible for eliminating 559 million miles worth of highway travel, said Eugene Skoropowski, Capitol Corridor managing director.

Caltrans is working to convert the remaining 14 Amtrak-operated locomotives to this upgraded model — which is the cleanest diesel electric passenger locomotive in the country — as quickly as possible, stated Caltrans Division of Rail chief Bill Bronte. So far there is available stimulus funding for seven of the 14, he said.

Money for the project came from the Carl Moyer Program, a partnership between the California Air Resources Board and local air boards in the state that provides grants for projects reducing pollutants from heavy-duty engines. Retrofitting the F59PHI involved both the Sacramento Metropolitan and Bay Area Air Quality Management districts.

Kevin Bahline of EMD said that the company is in the process of launching the eco-friendly technology globally.

See also: Eco train engine unveiled

Photo Credit: Images 1, 2, 4 & 5 by Ed Fogle; images 3 & 6 by Kati Garner.