WestStart-CALSTART Policy Page
WestStart-CALSTART continues to work with state decision-makers, industry and other stakeholders to craft and sponsor effective legislation that creates high-quality jobs, cleans the air and improves energy efficiency. In California, two state Assembly bills were signed by the Governor.
Contact John Boesel for more information at 626.744.5607 or jboesel@calstart.org.
NEW! CALSTART Testifies before Congress on Hybrids 
.(pdf) Watch the video of the hearing here.
CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel was invited to contribute to Forbes.com Opinion page, for Forbes' Solutions Column. To read the article at Forbes.com, click here
Assembly Bill 118 (Núñez)
Funding for research, development, demonstration and deployment of clean transportation technologies and fuels.
Assembly Bill 236 (Lieu)
Reduction of petroleum use for state and local motor vehicle fleets.
Other environmental policy news
John Boesel in Forbes
March 2008
Since 1973, when President Nixon announced ”Project Independence” in response to the Arab Oil Embargo, the nation’s dependence on imported oil has steadily increased. Why has that happened? How can a call to action by arguably the world’s most important person, and one effectively repeated by everyone one of his successors, be ignored and completely ineffective? Is it a technical or policy problem that we have?
As CEO of CALSTART, an organization that works with a wide array of companies developing and selling clean and energy efficient transportation technologies, I have an abundance of optimism about what can be done, cost-effectively, from a technical perspective to not only significantly cut our dependence on oil but also reduce transportation related greenhouse gas emissions.
What has been lacking in the past is a true national will to direct engineering talent toward fuel efficiency and substitution. With the absence of political leadership on this topic, the nation’s best automotive engineers have often focused on how to deliver more creature comforts or improve acceleration. A study by Professor John Heywood at MIT has developed a mathematical formula to analyze what can be done if we place greater emphasis on reducing fuel consumption. Within 30 years, even without a breakthrough in fuel technology or energy storage, he says we could cut our oil consumption in half if public policy directs engineering toward reducing fuel consumption.
At CALSTART we are working closely with companies who are developing promising products and services in the following areas: next generation biofuels, fuel cells, advanced batteries, more efficient internal combustion engines, electrified components, innovative fuel retail strategies, and light-weight materials. With the increase in the price of oil, we are now seeing an improving business case for many of these technologies and systems. This important mark mechanism has helped draw the attention of the investment community to the clean transportation technology sector. However, if we are to really make a difference this time, we cannot rely on market signals alone. We will need strong, long-term, intelligent public policy to move our transportation system in the right direction.
Under the state’s current political leadership much has been done in California to move us in the right direction. The passage of the new federal fuel economy bill in 2007 was a small but good step in the right direction. In developing the nation’s first ever climate policy, much more can and should be done. Congress also will have a tremendous opportunity when it renews the federal transportation reauthorization bill. If bold and decisive policy is set forth in these areas, we will see significant advancements in technology to cut oil use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Our engineers are up for the challenge much as they were when President Kennedy issued his race to the moon challenge in 1961. We’re starting to see tremendous innovation occur. For it to be sustained, we will need better public policies.
John Boesel
President and CEO
CALSTART
AB 118
UPDATE! AB 118, the Alternative Fuels and Vehicle Technologies Assembly Bill was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger on October 14, 2007.
In mid-September, the Legislature sent the Governor a bill that would provide a significant amount of new funding for clean and energy efficient transportations technology, research development and deployment. On October 14, the Governor signed the Alternative Fuels and Vehicle Technologies Assembly Bill.
To learn more about the bill and California's efforts to advance clean transportation, contact:
John Boesel at 626.744.5607
Who supported AB 118?
AB 118 provides funding from fees on vehicle registrations for a term of seven years and is expected to yield about $205 million per year in new funding. Approximately $120 million would be managed by the California Energy Commission (CEC) for transportation programs that would not only improve air quality but also reduce dependence on oil and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The remaining $85 million would be managed by the California Air Resources Board on programs focused solely on improving air quality. The CEC projects would support the research and development, as well as the deployment of clean transportation technologies.
Click here for the full text of the bill (pdf)
STATUS: AB 118 was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger on October 14, 2007.
AB 118's two programs are described in detail below.
1. The Air Quality Improvement Program, to be administered by the California Air Resources Board, would fund the following projects:
- Off-road equipment projects contemplating action not required by control measures adopted by the state board or any other laws to mitigate criteria air pollutant and toxic air contaminant emissions
- Mitigation for off-road gasoline exhaust and evaporative emissions not currently regulated by the state board
- Research to determine the air quality impacts of alternative fuels and projects that study the life-cycle impacts of alternative fuels and conventional fuels, the emissions of biofuel and advanced reformulated gasoline mixes, and air pollution improvement and control technologies for use with alternative fuels and vehicles
- Projects augmenting the Univ. of California’s Agricultural Extension program for research to increase sustainable biofuels production and improve the collection of biomass feedstocks
- Incentives for small off-road equipment replacement to encourage consumers to replace internal combustion engine lawn and garden equipment
- Incentives for heavy-duty vehicles and equipment mitigation, including lower emission school bus programs and heavy-duty electric off-road equipment
2. The Alternative and Renewable Fuel, Vehicle Technology, Carbon Reduction and Clean Air Program, to be administered by the CEC, would provide funding in the following
areas:
- Alternative and renewable fuel R&D to improve/develop alternative and low-carbon fuels (incl. ethanol, dimethyl ether, renewable diesel, natural gas, biomethane; and their feedstocks) that have high potential for long-term and short-term commercialization
- Alternative and renewable fuel deployment projects that optimize fuels for existing and developing engine technologies
- Technology deployment projects to decrease the overall impact of a fuel’s life-cycle carbon footprint and sustainability
- Alternative and renewable fuel infrastructure, fueling stations and equipment incentive projects, including revolving loans and grants to small- and medium-sized businesses for these purposes
- Alternative and renewable fuel and efficient vehicle technology R&D that provide for better fuel efficiency, alternative fuel usage and storage, or emission reductions (incl. propulsions systems, lightweight materials, energy storage, engine optimization, electronic and electrified components, hybrid tech, plug-in hybrid tech, and fuel cell technology)
- Alternative and renewable fuel and efficient vehicle technology deployment projects that accelerate commercialization of vehicle technology, incl. buy-down programs for near-market and market-path deployments)
- Revolving loans to small and medium size businesses for medium-and heavy-duty vehicle fleets to retrofit existing fleets with technologies that create higher fuel efficiencies, including idle management technology and aerodynamic retrofits that decrease fuel consumption
- Alternative fuel and electric infrastructure projects that promote infrastructure development connected for existing fleets, public transit and transportation corridors.
Pictured: California State Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, who sponsored AB 118. Visit the Speaker's web site.
The programs will remain in effect until January 1, 2016.
Advanced Energy Conversion |
Hydrogenics |
AB 236
UPDATE! AB 236, the State and Local Motor Vehicle Fleets Assembly Bill, was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger on October 14, 2007.
CALSTART sponsored AB 236, which was introduced by Assembly Members Lieu, DeSaulnier and Huffman. AB 236 implements a recommendation from the California Secure Transportation Energy Partnership (CalSTEP) to require the state to establish petroleum reduction for it's own fleet and implement a plan to meet them.
In 2002, California's state fleet owned or leased more than 5,200 alternative fuel-capable vehicles, yet only 63 (1.2%) were fueled with alternative fuels, leaving the remaining 98.8% to be fueled with conventional gasoline. On October 14, the Governor signed the State and Local Motor Vehicle Fleets Assembly Bill.
Each year, California purchases an average of 5,100 vehicles for its state fleet, yet there is no requirement for any of those vehicles to actually run on alternative fuels.
This bill will require the Department of General Services to consider fuel cost and economy, emissions, hybrid or "Best in Class" vehicles, and alternative fuel vehicles before awarding a vehicle procurement contract to a state agency. The Department will be under no obligation to favor specific fuel or vehicle types. The advantage of this approach is that a variety of methods can be utilized to achieve the goal of reducing petroleum usage.
It is critical that California reduce its dependence on petroleum and increase its share of alternative fuel sources. By converting the state fleet to more fuel efficient vehicles, the state will be protected from an unstable petroleum supply and price shocks, and will be closer to meeting the state's green house gas emission reduction goals.
Click here for the full text of the bill (pdf)
To learn more about the bill and California's efforts to advance clean transportation, contact:
John Boesel at 626.744.5607
STATUS: AB 236 was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger on October 14, 2007.
Other environmental policy news
Low Carbon Fuel Policy Report released by University of California
SACRAMENTO -The University of California released a blueprint recently for the Air Resources Board to consider in implementing the low carbon fuel standard as part of its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020. The report, which is the second in a series, examines many of the policy issues involved in designing a low carbon fuel standard.