About Us

Virginia Clean Cities is a U.S. Department of Energy designated coalition in the Clean Cities and Communities partnership. Our story began in 1996 as a regional coalition in the Hampton Roads area. In 2001, the non-profit Virginia Clean Cities, Inc. was created to manage and expand the coalition. In 2009, VCC formed a partnership with James Madison University enabling both organizations to leverage resources, current initiatives and future opportunities. VCC serves as a cornerstone program in the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research.

The Clean Cities and Communities partnership is supported by communities and by the U.S. Department of Energy in accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 1992. This legislation’s express intent is to ensure national energy security by reducing dependence on imported petroleum products. The program was chartered to help achieve this objective by promoting alternative fuel use in the transportation sector.

Our Mission

Virginia Clean Cities advances air quality improvement, economic opportunity, and energy security through deployment of alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, education programs, and other petroleum reduction activities.

How Does Virginia Clean Cities Work?

Clean Cities and Communities draws stakeholders from local, state and federal agencies; public health and transportation departments; commercial fleets; transit agencies; and other government offices; as well as auto manufacturers, car dealers, fuel and equipment suppliers, public utilities and nonprofit associations.

Clean Cities and Communities is instrumental in cultivating an advanced transportation community in which people learn about a wide range of options and technologies. In addition, Clean Cities and Communities helps create markets for alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), hybrids, fuel blends, fuel economy and idle reduction. More importantly, Clean Cities provides a forum for members to leverage resources, develop joint projects, collaborate on public policy issues, and promote petroleum displacement and clean air technologies.

Clean Cities partnerships address the challenge of moving the United States away from the infrastructure and practices that contribute to the nation’s dependence on imported petroleum and toward energy independence and security. Clean Cities and Communities brings the national goals outlined in DOE’s Advanced Energy Initiative to the communities that can realize the end results.