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Granite State Clean Cities CoalitionWelcome to the home of the Granite State Clean Cities Coalition...Promoting the use of alternative fuel vehicles in New Hampshire |
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STAKEHOLDERS
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February 6, 2002 New Hampshire Joins Nationwide "Clean Cities" Program CONCORD-New Hampshire’s plan to reduce motor vehicle pollution and reduce dependence on foreign oil by increasing the use of cleaner burning alternative fuels has been approved by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), state officials announced this week. The plan was created by the Granite State Clean Cities Coalition (GSCCC), a locally-based, voluntary, public-private partnership to encourage and expand the use of alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuel in transportation. Federal approval means the GSCCC will join over 80 other coalitions nationwide in the federal Clean Cities Program administered by the DOE."The program plan clearly illustrates the Granite State Coalition’s commitment to building the alternative fuel vehicle market in New Hampshire," said National Clean Cities Program Director Shelley Launey in informing GSCCC of the DOE approval. The fundamental purpose of GSCCC is to create a favorable, market-driven environment for alternative fuels-including electricity, propane, natural gas, biodiesel, and hydrogen. The result, coalition members say, in addition to reducing dependence on gasoline, is a decrease in a variety of pollutants responsible for smog and other air and groundwater problems and linked to numerous illnesses, including asthma, heart disease, and cancer. "Creating a steady growth of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and refueling stations will displace the use of more polluting conventional fuel vehicles throughout the Granite State," said Jack Ruderman, energy policy director at the Governor’s Office of Energy and Community Services (ECS), which, along with the state Department of Environmental Services (DES), has taken a lead in moving the plan and the Granite State coalition forward. The coalition also includes the University of New Hampshire, the Department of Transportation, and more than 30 other stakeholders, including environmental groups, government agencies, small businesses, energy providers, and transportation companies, as well as six cities and towns. "Our Clean Cities Plan is a great example of a state-government and private-sector partnership at work to improve the quality of life for all New Hampshire residents," Governor Jeanne Shaheen said. "It is also a further demonstration of our commitment to work for environmental quality and energy independence on a regional basis." "An important element in having our state join in the national Clean Cities campaign is that it will expand creation of a ‘clean corridor’ across the northeast by linking the alternative fuel infrastructure between contiguous states," according to Dana Bisbee, assistant commissioner at DES. The program will also "help our entire region to be less reliant on fossil fuels, increasing energy security for New Hampshire and the northeast," Ruderman adds, noting that other Clean Cities plans are in place in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. "In the long term, we hope to promote local and national economic development with companies involved in the domestic alternative fuels industry," said Rebecca Ohler, an air quality engineer with DES who played a key role in getting the New Hampshire plan approved by DOE. She noted that the coalition will work to more than double the number of AFVs in New Hampshire from 206 to 439 by 2006. Ruderman said the coalition’s goal of expansion of the refueling infrastructure for alternative fuels is crucial to increasing consumer use of alternative fuel vehicles. "We know consumers, particularly those with fleets, will begin to choose propane or natural gas vehicles, as well as electric and other alternative fuels, when there is an adequate network of refueling stations," he said. For more information, contact Jack Ruderman, Energy Policy Director, ECS, (603)
271-2611
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