Question of the Month: How can I determine whether an alternative fuel conversion system or other aftermarket device claiming to improve fuel economy or reduce emissions has been appropriately certified or verified?

Answer: To ensure an aftermarket system or device is legitimate, you must first confirm that it has been properly vetted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and any applicable state authority, such as the California Air Resources Board (CARB). ...

Question of the Month: How does the federal plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) tax credit phase-out work, and has it begun for any vehicle manufacturers? What is the status of other federal alternative fuel tax credits?

Answer: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Qualified Plug-In Electric Drive Motor VehicleTax Credit begins to phase out for a manufacturer when at least 200,000 qualifying vehicles produced by that manufacturer have been sold for use in the United States, based on sales after December 31, 2009. Many ...

Question of the Month: What are the new credit allocations that were established under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE)’s Alternative Fuel Transportation Program (Program) earlier this year? How can I help spread the word on these new Energy Policy Act (EPAct) compliance pathways?

Answer:
DOE issued a final rule on March 21, 2014, that establishes credit levels for additional means by which covered state and alternative fuel provider fleets operating under the Program’s Standard Compliance (http://www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/epact/state_standard_compliance.html) option ...

Virginia Clean Cities is now registered with AmazonSmile!

AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when customers shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers – such as Virginia Clean Cities! Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for ...

Question of the Month: What fuel-specific information is available through the Alternative Fuels Data Center’s (AFDC) Station Locator website?

Answer: Most stakeholders are familiar with the AFDC Station Locator website (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/locator/stations/) and the general station information listed there, such as the address, phone number, hours of operation, payments accepted, and who can access the station. You may not be aware of some of the fuel-specific information available as well for the fuels below:

Biodiesel

• Blends available: The blends of biodiesel available at ...

Question of the Month: During the winter of 2013-2014, propane shortages and price spikes were widely publicized by news media, and some fleets reported difficulty getting propane for their vehicles. What really happened and what steps can propane fleets take to protect themselves from similar issues in the future?

Answer: Several factors contributed to the recent winter supply constraints and increased propane prices, including record low temperatures around the country (the 2013-2014 winter was almost 30% colder than the previous winter), increased rain fall ...

Are you a rising junior, senior, or graduate student looking for a paid internship for the 2014-2015 school year?
Come work with Virginia Clean Cities!

The Clean Cities University Workforce Development Program (CCUWDP) is an initiative of Clean Cities, a government-industry partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program. Since the creation of the CCUWDP in 2010, Clean Cities has hosted more than 150 interns in more than 70 Coalitions.

The Clean Cities internship will give ...