City of Phoenix to Receive $15 million for EV Charging Infrastructure

The City of Phoenix will receive a $15,000,000 award from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand Phoenix’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network, improving access for Phoenix residents and helping to address air quality challenges in Maricopa County. 

The grant, awarded through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program—a program established through Kelly’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—will support the installation of 150 publicly accessible EV charging ports across Phoenix, including 26 multi-modal charging ports. The project also includes 10 portable solar-powered charging stations and solar-covered parking structures at city-owned multi-family housing sites. 

See Press Release: https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-gallego-announce-15-million-grant-to-expand-electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure-in-phoenix/

Clean Cities & Communities First Responder Projects awarded DOE Funds

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $18.6 million for 15 projects that will drive innovation in equitable clean transportation and provide first responders with the tools they need to properly respond to calls involving zero emission vehicles. The funding will expand DOE’S Clean Cities and Communities work to make clean transportation options more available, accessible, and affordable nationwide.

Projects will partner with over 45 of DOE’s Clean Cities and Communities across more than 30 states to implement clean transportation projects in urban, suburban, and rural communities. The new investments support partnerships with local coalitions to provide outreach and technical assistance training to local communities, safety training and resources for emergency responders transitioning to zero-emission and electric vehicles, and support for demonstration and deployment of innovative clean transportation technologies. 

The selected projects for each of the three funding topics are:

Topic 1: Clean Cities Outreach, Engagement, and Technical Assistance. Projects in this topic provide Innovative training and capacity building to fleets to support transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), including at ports and within Tribal communities.

• Engaging Neighborhood Diesel‐operators: Healing Air and Reducing Disparities with New Opportunities and Expediency (St. Paul, MN): $1 million

• Clean Cities and Communities Clean Ports Academy: Outreach, Education and Technical Assistance Training on Equitable Port Electrification (Harrisonburg, VA): $1 million 

• Clean Cities Fleet Coaching Program (New York, NY): $1 million

• Northern Mountain West Collaborative Expansion Project (Jackson, WY): $1 million

• Electric Vehicle Opportunities for the Northeast (New Haven, CT): $1 million

• Alternative Fuels Education and Outreach for Marine Community Stakeholders (Tualatin, OR): $1 million

Topic 2: Training for Critical Emergency Response Workers. Projects in this topic provide emergency first-responders with tools, training, and resources to support safe deployment of ZEVs, including medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs).

• National Fire Protection Association’s National ZEV Critical Emergency Responder Training (Quincy, MA): $2.5 million 

• Building a Safe and Resilient Clean Transportation Sector: Supporting States and Communities with Training on Zero Emission Vehicle Technologies for Emergency Responders (Arlington, VA): $2.5 million

• Immersive and Interactive Training on Medium and Heavy‐Duty Zero‐Emission Vehicles and Infrastructure Technologies for Critical Emergency Response Workers (State College, PA) $2.5 million

Topic 3: Clean Transportation Demonstration and Deployment. Projects in this topic demonstrate and deploy innovative clean transportation technologies in coordination with Clean Cities and Communities coalitions through approaches including hydrogen, rail, and non-grid tied EV charging infrastructure within a disadvantaged community.

• Topic 3: Sustainable Advancements in Vehicle Operations and Refrigeration (St. Paul, MN): $1 million

• rEVitalize Trucking (Richmond, VA): $1 million

• Hydrogen Fleet Vehicle Demonstration in Colorado (Arvada, CO): $900,000 

• Charging Tennessee: Advancing Public Vehicle Fleet Electrification (Cookeville, TN): $1 million

• Clean Freight Future: Deploying battery electric railcars for emissions reduction of in-plant transportation (St. Louis, MO): $600,000 

• Resilient EV Charging and Renewable Grid‐Friendly Electricity (Washington, DC): $500,000

Clean Cities and Communities coalitions will play a significant role in the success of these projects. More than 75 DOE-designated coalitions work to advance clean transportation and strengthen the nation’s environment, energy security, and economic prosperity.

Learn more about VTO and the selected projects.

U.S. DOT Launches Climate Strategies That Work Playbook

U.S. DOT launched the Climate Strategies that Work Playbook. The playbook outlines a menu of options for climate champions and local leaders to make data-backed choices that are right for their communities.

The Playbook is a new comprehensive resource developed to guide cities, regions, industry leaders, philanthropic strategists, and transportation professionals at every level in implementing the most effective strategies for reducing transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions.

The playbook provides actionable information for 27 transportation-related emission reduction strategies through well-vetted guides detailing benefits, implementation steps, and resources. Informed by the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, the playbook emphasizes convenient, efficient, and clean transportation solutions, while also considering equity, safety, and economic growth, ultimately helping communities grow stronger, safer, smarter, and more sustainable.  

Strategies span infrastructure investments, technology applications, and policy strategies. These include active transportation, electric vehicles, and freight operational efficiencies for use by rural and urban communities. The playbook supports users in making evidence-based decisions for climate action planning, helping meet climate and economic development goals while providing mobility choices. 

ChargeWest- Expanding EV Infrastructure Across the Mountain West

Valley of the Sun Clean Cities is proud to be a part of the ChargeWest project!

ChargeWestTM is a collection of Intermountain West states which are committed to improving electric corridors across the western United States; building infrastructure on rural gateway communities, state and national parks, monuments, recreation areas, and scenic by-ways. The states involved are Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

Learn more at the ChargeWest homepage

https://chargewestev.org/

Mesa Falcon Field Airport Using Sustainable Aviation Fuel

The City of Mesa joins with its Falcon Field Airport partners in celebrating the arrival of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a new, emissions-reducing fuel option.

Avflight Mesa, one of the airport's fixed based operators (FBO) that provides aviation fuel and ground handling support, partnered with its sister company, Avfuel Corporation, a leading independent supplier of aviation fuel and services, to establish consistent supply of SAF on the airfield.

The FBO received its first truckload delivery of SAF, specifically, Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM, on Aug. 28. Every truckload carries approximately 8,000 gallons of the sustainable fuel. This volume reduces carbon emissions by 19 tons compared to petroleum-based jet fuel from the time the SAF is created to the time its burned. That provides the same environmental benefit as taking 4.5 passenger vehicles (personal cars, vans, SUVs, trucks) off U.S. roads for a year.

The introduction of a consistent SAF supply elevates Avflight Mesa, and by extension, the airport, as a leader in eco-conscious aviation operations, enabling its customers to immediately and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Avflights Mesa location is the first of its 26 FBOs situated around North America and Europe to adopt SAF. (https://mesanow.org/news/public/article/3377?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery)