SJV Clean Transportation Center: Dec./Jan. Newsletter

Welcome to the December 2017 San Joaquin Valley Clean Transportation Center Newsletter. With funding from the California Energy Commission, CALSTART opened the Center with the goal to accelerate the use of clean vehicles and fuels and help the region more quickly meet air quality targets. San Joaquin Valley to Receive More Than $88 Million in State Cap-and-Trade Funds  The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) Governing Board at its Dec. 21 meeting voted to accept more than $88 million in funding from the state's cap-and-trade proceeds. The Valley is receiving $80 million – nearly a third of $250 million allocated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB)  to fund Carl Moyer projects and clean trucks that meet Prop 1B guidelines. Another $8.4 million is for AB 617 implementation, which requires air monitoring at the community level in order to better protect those in areas most impacted by air pollution. Even better news is that significantly more money will be heading to the San Joaquin Valley. (See graphic above from the presentation made to the SJVAPCD Board.) The Air District expects to receive millions more for dairy digesters, several programs targeting emissions reductions in agriculture, and greenhouse gas projects for food processors. "It's the most we have ever seen, and perhaps the most we will ever get," President/CEO Roger Isom of the California Cotton Ginners & Growers Association said during public comments made at the meeting. He encouraged the Air District to move quickly to get the funding distributed. The state has set strict deadlines, mandated by law, requiring funds to be encumbered (under executed contract) by June 30, 2019, and liquidated (paid out) by June 30, 2021. Biorem Energy President Mark Terry, who traveled from Idaho to attend the meeting, encouraged the Air District to examine existing funding criteria for heavy-duty trucks so that larger trucking companies would have more of an incentive to convert diesel trucks in their fleets to compressed natural gas (CNG). He suggested a trade-up component as well, where high-mileage trucks that may only be three to five years old would not need to be destroyed. SJVAPCD Air Pollution Control Officer Seyed Sadredin indicated they are working with CARB to allow a trade-up provision.     A DC fast charger opened recently at Kern Federal Credit Union, becoming the first level 3 charger in downtown Bakersfield. The Air District's Charge Up! program, which helped fund this project, recently was expanded to include workplace charging sites. Charge Up! Expands to Workplace Sites; New EV Funds Target Fresno County  The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's (SJVAPCD) Charge Up! program, which provides funding for EV charging equipment and infrastructure, is expanding to include workplace charging. The program previously required chargers to be open to the public for a minimum of 30 hours per week. Charge Up! also will shift to a voucher-based system from a rebate program to increase program participation, efficiency and flexibility, resulting in an overall streamlining of the program. A new application will be available soon. To date, $1.3 million has been awarded by the Air District for 182 level 2 and level 3 EV chargers A new state program debuted Dec. 20 in Fresno County, providing $4 million in new funding for EV charging and infrastructure projects. The Fresno County Incentive Project (FCIP) is the first incentive project to be launched under the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP). FCIP will provide rebates for the purchase and installation of eligible level 2 electric vehicle chargers to owners of commercial properties, apartments, condominiums, workplaces and public agencies in Fresno County. Rebate amounts are up to $4,000 for single-port EV charging stations and $7,000 for dual-port EV charging stations. FCIP funding may be combined with Charge Up!, which offers $5,000 per unit for single-port chargers and $6,000 per unit for dual-port chargers. Charge Up! also will fund up to $25,000 for DC fast chargers, with funding approved on a case-by-case basis. CALeVIP is funded by the California Energy Commission (CEC) and implemented by the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), which also administers the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP). CALeVIP currently is funded for more than $15 million, with the potential to receive up to $200 million. “As the state transitions to cleaner transportation in order to meet clean air standards and climate goals, it’s important to increase access to the charging infrastructure that makes plug-in electric vehicles a more viable option for communities across California,” Energy Commissioner Janea A. Scott said in an article posted on CSE's website. An application and guidelines are on the FCIP website. Read the entire CSE article for more information.  Two Proterra Catalyst buses will be added to Yosemite's shuttle fleet in late 2018, making it the first U.S. national park to permanently add battery-electric, zero-emission buses to its fleet.  Yosemite Becomes First U.S. National Park to Purchase Electric Buses  Yosemite National Park will add two Proterra Catalyst electric buses to its fleet, becoming the first U.S. national park to permanently add zero-emission, battery-electric buses to its shuttle fleet. The buses will begin service in late 2018 and will operate throughout the year, transporting up to 1,480 visitors per day. One of the nation's most-visited national parks, Yosemite attracts more than five million visitors from around the world each year. Increased vehicle congestion has contributed to air pollution and noise problems in the park, and Yosemite relies heavily on its shuttle program to encourage visitors to park once and use a bus to circulate among lodges, waterfalls and trailheads. This free shuttle service travels approximately 436,000 miles with 3.8 million boardings annually.  In 2001, the park began replacing its diesel bus fleet with diesel-electric hybrid vehicles. The new Proterra Catalyst buses are expected annually to reduce 887,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and save approximately $150,500 on maintenance and operating costs.  “Since its establishment in 1890, airborne pollutants have steadily degraded Yosemite’s resources," said Yosemite National Park Acting Superintendent Chip Jenkins. "Deploying Proterra’s battery-electric buses will help with this ongoing challenge and will greatly improve local air quality.” The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has committed to greening the federal fleet, including the national parks, by working with businesses to make cleaner, quieter transportation readily available and affordable to partner agencies. As a resullt, GSA's list of federal fleet acquisition options now includes the Proterra Catalyst. “The Proterra team is especially proud to directly contribute to the preservation of Yosemite National Park.," said Proterra President and CEO Ryan Popple. "We are honored to partner with the National Park Service to provide clean, quiet transportation to the millions of visitors who love to visit our national parks.” With its headquarters in Burlingame, Proterra also has offices in the Los Angeles area in the City of Industry and in Greenville, South Carolina. The company currently has more than 490 electric buses operating in 61 different municipal, university, airport and commercial transit agencies in 29 states. Thomas Paddon  Paddon Joins SJVCTC Staff   Thomas Paddon is the new Regional Project Manager for CALSTART's San Joaquin Valley Clean Transportation Center (SJVCTC), joining the staff in December. He currently is working with SJVCTC Director Joseph Oldham to open a new office in Stockton and will be responsible for driving the Center’s objectives in the northern San Joaquin Valley, taking a pragmatic, economics-driven approach to accelerating the growth of clean transportation technologies. Prior to CALSTART, he spent many years helping to develop startup businesses, primarily in the solar and electric vehicle space. Most recently, he was working with a solar software startup whose mission was to speed the adoption of solar, battery storage and electric vehicle investments using electricity usage data. Paddon earned his master of arts degree in Management from the University of Redlands and a bachelor of arts degree in French and International Business from the University of South Florida. As a commercial pilot, he is excited to be a part of CALSTART’s Sustainable Aviation Project that features electric aircraft. The mission of the SJVCTC is to provide no-cost technical assistance, project development expertise and assistance with acquiring project funding to San Joaquin Valley vehicle fleet owners, businesses and residents with the goal of reducing vehicle emissions and improving air quality. To help achieve that mission, the Center is working with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, SoCalGas Co., Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and others to speed the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations and natural gas fueling infrastructure. News Briefs...  FEDERAL EV CREDIT SURVIVES IN INCOME TAX REFORM BILL Those looking to buy an electric vehicle in 2018 can breathe a sigh of relief. The federal EV income tax credit of up to $7,500 has been retained in the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul package signed by President Donald J. Trump on Dec. 22. The credit had been eliminated in the House proposal drafted by Republicans several weeks ago, but was included in the Senate's version of the tax bill. That led to speculation in recent weeks about the fate of this important incentive for EV buyers and the potential impact on the EV industry.  CALSTART, in a letter signed by many of its more than 180 member companies, lobbied to keep the credit, stating that it "protects U.S. job creation and leadership in the electric vehicle sector." See a USA Today article for more details. SHEIKH TO SUCCEED SADREDIN AS SJVAPCD APCO Seyed Sadredin has announced he will retire in 2018 after leading the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District since 2006. His career in air quality has spanned more than three decades. Samir Sheikh will succeed Sadredin as the District's Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO), effective July 7. A longtime Air District employee, Sheikh currently serves as Deputy APCO with leadership over the Strategies and Incentives Department and several other administrative areas of the organization.     Looking for Grant Information? The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District offers a variety of grants and incentive programs for public agencies, residents, businesses and technology. Interested parties should apply early since incentives typically are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A complete list of current incentive programs is available on the Air District website. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) administers grant programs funded through various sources, including the cap-and-trade program. A complete list of the various funding programs is available on the CARB website. The California Energy Commission (CEC) also administers grant programs for transportation technology. Go to the CEC website for information. Various federal agencies offer grants and incentives for transportation technology each year. All federal agencies use the Grants.gov website for submitting and receiving grant applications.    Calendar of Events “The CALSTART San Joaquin Valley Clean Transportation Center is a joint project between CALSTART and the California Energy Commission (CEC). It is funded through a grant from the CEC with the mission to assist residents and businesses in the San Joaquin Valley deploy cleaner transportation options to help improve air quality and promote economic prosperity.  For more information about CALSTART, visit www.calstart.org.” Copyright © 2017 by CALSTART, All rights reserved. Contact Us Joseph Oldham, Director    Thomas Paddon, Regional Project Manager San Joaquin Valley Clean Transportation Center Fresno Address: 510 W. Kearney Blvd., Fresno, CA 93706 Fresno Phone: (559) 797-6034 Stockton Address: 5000 S. Airport Way, Suite #208, Stockton, CA 95206 Stockton Phone: (626) 744-5637 Email: joldham@calstart.org and tpaddon@calstart.org Newsletter Editor: Brenda Turner, Project Clean Air projectcleanairprograms@gmail.com

Agriculture Water Use, Consumer Practices and the Drought

California is still in a drought. Surprised? You shouldn't be; this has been all over the news for months now. The lack of ground and other water sources is concerning, and so even though Samantha and I have both written about behavior modification and the megadrought future of California, there is more to be said about what you can do and what others, especially those in agriculture, should be doing to mitigate the dry conditions in the state.

Governor Brown has cracked down on water allotments, reducing potable urban water usage by 25%. Final decisions about agricultural water use have yet to be determined. About 80% of water consumed in the state of California goes to agriculture and the state's farmers need all that water because they supply much of the country’s produce, yet the industry has already seen cutbacks on surface water allotments and will likely see more.

Some farmers in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river delta have said they will voluntarily give up 25% of their allotments if the government does not ask for additional cutbacks. This is huge because water rights in this region date back a couple of centuries and are fiercely protected.

Photo Source: econlife

The state may have a decision on the agricultural water cuts soon, but how significant the cuts will be is not known. Even though there are many farmers who have said they would take a voluntary cut, there is no way to know how many actually will and who will wait to reduce their usage when final decisions and programs are developed. Many hope that the farmers who are volunteering water cuts will inspire others to follow suit before final decisions are made.

Farmers may need to rethink their crops as well. Some crops are so water intensive that it will not make sense to grow them as the drought conditions perpetuate. One such crop is alfalfa – the reason why an excessive amount of water is needed to produce a burger. Plus, a lot of our alfalfa crops are sent to China for cattle feed, so American consumers cannot even reap the benefits!

Photo Source: Daily Kos

As a consumer, you, too, can choose to buy and eat less water intensive produce. I stopped drinking Almond milk when I learned it takes about a gallon of water to produce each almond. That is quite a guzzler! And almonds aren't even the biggest guzzler in the nut family; walnuts are far worse!

How can you figure out how much water your food takes to produce? Check out this handy interactive infographic by the New York Times and prepare yourself to be shocked. Try participating in Meatless Monday. Try millet instead of rice. We can all make a difference to mitigate the effects of the drought whether or not we live in California. When will you start?

Grange Network to host first free webinar on efficient water delivery this Thursday

The SJVCEO likes to make friends wherever we can, so when we met Jim Anshutz preparing for our Clean Energy Jobs workshop last December we knew we'd be fast friends!

Sure enough, the work Jim and his partner, Kurt Maloney are doing with AGH20 is right up our water/energy nexus alley.  In addition to collaborating on our C6 training program they have also started a web based community for irrigation industry called the Grange Network.  The new site serves the Agricultural Irrigation Industry's need to share knowledge and effectively use water.

On Thursday, February 28th the Grange Network will hoe the first in a series of free webinars hosted by top industry thinkers.  Click here to register. 

Topic: Making Drip Pay: Increasing Income, Reducing Costs and Improving Flexibility
Speaker: Inge Bisconer, Technical Marketing and Sales Manager, Toro
Date: Thursday, February 28, 2013
Time: 10:00 a.m. PST, 60 minutes
Cost: FREE!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Session Description: Drip irrigation for agriculture is gaining in popularity because of its many benefits.  This webinar provides an overview of how producers are increasing income, reducing costs, improving flexibility and achieving sustainability by using drip irrigation technology on row, field and permanent crops.

Case studies will be reviewed, along with a unique software tool called the Toro Drip/Mirco Payback Wizard. Finally, a typical drip irrigation system layout and design will be reviewed using Toro's AquaFlow 3.2 Drip Irrigation Design Software.

About Inge Bisconer: Inge Bisconer is the Technical Marketing and Saels Manger for Toro Mirco-Irrigation in El Cajon, CA.  She has worked in production agriculture, co-founded an irrigation consulting firm, and has held various technical, sales, marketing and management positions in the irrigation and water treatment industries over the past 30 years.

Inge holds a BS in agriculture from UC Davis, an MBA in technology management, and most recently authored the Toro Mirco-Irrigation Owner's Manual, a comprehensive guide for both new and existing row, field and permanent crop growers.

Inge currently serves as President of the California Irrigation Institute, is an Irrigation Association Certified Irrigation Designer (CID) and Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA), and it past-chair of the IA's Drip/Mirco Common Interest Group and its Market Development subcommittee.

The "Grange Network  is a collaborative effort between AGH2O and vftnetworks--A Vignettes for Training Inc. Company.

photo credit: CUESA via photopin cc

UC Davis launches 'green' degree program

This fall the University of California, Davis, plans to launch an undergraduate major focused on agricultural sustainability.

The official title of the bachelor of science degree will be "Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems," and officials say it will "provide students with a thorough understanding of the many issues facing modern farming and food systems, including production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management."

The green component is the emphasis on social, economic and environmental aspects of agriculture and food.

“This is an exciting addition to the college that reflects a change in how we think about food and agriculture,” says Neal Van Alfen, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, in a statement. “Students will gain a broad perspective of what it takes to put dinner on the table in an era of greater demand and fewer resources.”

Nine faculty members from eight departments are affiliated with the new degree program.

The major is new, but UC Davis has been covering the subject at its student farm for more than 35 years, officials say.

Continuing students already have begun transferring into the major. Freshmen and transfer students will be able to apply starting in November.

Photo: Courtesy UC Davis.

Agriculture Has A Leading Role In Energy, Water Efficiency

A short drive from my desk in Fresno will lead me to an almond orchard, a vineyard, a dairy farm or in the middle of a field of strawberries. Agriculture is a $20 billion per year enteprise in the San Joaquin Valley, and proof of that spreads in all directions.

This is the nation's salad bowl, but feeding the masses comes with a price: Farming consumes large amounts of energy and water.

Pumps, refrigeration and other farm-related uses accounted for 13% and 11% of the total electricity consumed in Fresno and Kern counties respectively in 2009, according to the California Energy Commission.

And water is so precious and vital that at least 160 water-related businesses have a presence in the Valley. It is no coincidence that Fresno State University has an internationally known water and energy research facility, and that Clovis just hosted a major water conference.

So, it makes sense that growers would be leaders in water and energy conservation. Farmers in California lead the nation in the use of renewable energy, and Clean Technica writes in this report about a farmer's inexpensive hydro-powered invention that replaces the diesel engine that powered his irrigation system. The story also notes that conservation within the agriculture industry has helped reduce water use in the United States even though the population increased.

The alfalfa farmer, Roger Barton , estimates the device saves him about $3,500 annually. "The consumer sector has a few things to learn from agriculture when it comes to conservation," writes Tina Casey, the Clean Technica reporter.

Clean energy is more than solar arrays and wind farms. Conservation and efficiency are big components, and the San Joaquin Valley, with the involvement of its cutting-edge farmers, could become a showcase of water and energy efficiency and technology.

More California Farmers Embracing Renewable Energy

As major users of energy, America's farms are natural candidates for renewable-energy efforts. That is especially true here in the San Joaquin Valley, where farming is a $20 billion per- year enterprise, temperatures hit triple digits, power bills are sky high and air pollution ranks among the worst in the nation.

As it turns out, farmers, especially in California, have made substantial gains in the use of alternative-energy sources. With about 25% of all facilities, California led the nation in 2009 with 1,956 farms and ranches producing renewable energy, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Solar dominated, with 1,906 California farmers using photovoltaic and thermal solar panels. The majority of those - more than 64,000 panels - were installed since 2005. Wind energy was used on 134 farms in California, while methane digesters were installed and used on 14 properties.

Solar power also has blossomed on farms nationally over the last four years. Prior to 2000, only 18,881 solar panels were on farms and ranches. Between 2005 and 2009, more than 108,000 panels were installed.

"Farmers and ranchers are increasingly adopting renewable-energy practices on their operations, and reaping the important economic and environmental benefits," said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Farmers in nearly every state reported savings on their energy bill. The survey also noted that subsidies and other sources helped finance some of the installation cost. In California, about 41% of the average $79,000 cost of installing solar came from outside sources.

All this makes me wonder what the future holds. Technological advances, such as this small-scale biomass project with ultra-low emissions suitable for urban areas, are coming fast, and the price of solar continues to fall. Some people predict parity is just around the corner. Possibly in 2012.

And one has to wonder if increasing oil prices, and the increasing realization from military and Big Business that green is good, will spur more energy-saving and renewable efforts among California farmers and corporations.

Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley have adopted some cool renewable projects - such as this grape grower in Delano - and I'm betting more are on the horizon.

photo by cleantechnia.com