|
|
In an attempt
to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and
promote sustainable alternatives, the city is
looking at the percent of the city’s
non-emergency fleet vehicles that are using
alternative fuels. This includes the Big Blue
Bus, Public Works vehicles and non-emergency
police and fire vehicles. The Sustainable City
Plan target has not been developed, but the
Fleet Management Division has set itself a goal
for Public Works vehicles to be 75%
alternatively fueled fleet. |
|
|
|
The city has
been adding a variety of alternative fuel
vehicles to its non-emergency public works fleet
in order to meet the diverse needs in the city.
There are 501 city vehicles. In 2006, 407 of
these were alternatively fueled, representing
81% of the fleet. Eighty-one percent is a
dramatic increase from its 1993 level of 10% and
exceeds own 75% target!
The Big Blue Bus has a total of 217 vehicles,
including its repair vehicles. Of those, 107
are fueled alternatively. The Big Blue Bus
plans to gradually replace its remaining
conventional diesel powered buses with
alternatively fueled vehicles as those buses are
retired from service.
Information on the sustainability of the
non-emergency police and fire vehicle was not
available as of this writing. |
|
|
|
Alternative fueled vehicles operate on fuels
other than gasoline or ordinary diesel,
compressed natural gas (CNG), liquid natural gas
(LNG), propane, biodiesel/petroleum blend,
electricity, hybrid gasoline and electricity,
and hydrogen. The benefits of alternative fuel
vehicles include improvement in environmental
and human health resulting from reduced
dependence on fossil fuels,
greenhouse gas emissions
and air pollution.
The city is using alternative fuel vehicles
because of the beneficial environmental and
human health impacts as well as state
regulations that require the city to use
alternative fuel vehicles or to attain a certain
level of fuel efficiency or emissions reduction.
See the city's
Fleet Management Website
for more information on specific vehicles.
This year, Santa Monica became one of five
Southern California cities launching a new
hydrogen fueling station
to accommodate
specially modified, hydrogen powered Prius
hybrids for use in the city fleet. This pilot
program is sponsored by the South Coast Air
Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the City
of Santa Monica and the US Department of
Energy. This program is a logical extension of
the strong support for alternatively-fueled
vehicles demonstrated by Fleet Management since
1993.
Having already switched its diesel vehicles to a
biodiesel/petroleum blend,
Fleet Management took its commitment to
biodiesel a step further. This year, Fleet
piloted a project to convert its existing diesel
inventory to cleaner operation. The project
tests
the use of pure biodiesel
with a catalytic converter technology in two of
its biodiesel trash haulers. If successful,
this test will demonstrate a way for biodiesel
to run more cleanly than either the biodiesel/petroleum
blend in use, or CNG. This test, sponsored by
the
SCAQMD,
could have wide-ranging benefits, not only in
Santa Monica, but all over Southern California
where significant inventories of diesel-powered
vehicles exist.
|
|
