GLICCC Joins Nationwide Call for Clean Fuels and Vehicles at Energy Independence Summit 2014

LongIsland.com

The Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition will be in Washington for the summit.

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Stony Brook, NY - March 28, 2014 - Representatives from the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC) will join clean transportation leaders from across the nation next week in Washington, DC to educate federal policy makers about the need to expand America’s use of alternative fuels, including biofuels, electricity, natural gas, and propane autogas. Local leaders, municipal representatives and representatives from private businesses will participate in Energy Independence Summit 2014, the nation’s premier clean transportation policy event, on March 31 - April 2. 
 
“Gas prices remain extremely volatile and we continue to send more than $1 billion a day to OPEC and other nations for oil,” stated Dominick A. Longobardi, GLICCC’s Chairman. “We are going to Washington to make sure our representatives understand that the United States must aggressively expand our use of alternatives to petroleum-based fuel if we are to stabilize gas prices, decrease our reliance on foreign oil, and maintain and create domestic jobs in the energy industry.” 
 
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are now more than 1.2 million alternative fuel vehicles on the road in the United States and nearly 29,000 alternative fueling stations. Here on Long Island, GLICCC recently helped Manhattan Beer Distributors replace 12 of its diesel delivery trucks with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles. In addition, using funds from American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA), we partnered with local municipalities and private businesses to construct five CNG fueling stations in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Also, GLICCC was recently awarded a grant to install electric vehicle charging stations at ten multiple dwelling units. 
 
Transportation Energy Partners (TEP), the Summit organizer, reports that Summit participants will have the opportunity to interact with top Administration officials, including EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, as well as leaders from the federal Departments of Energy, Defense, and Transportation. In addition, Summit participants will take their message about the need for ongoing federal support for alternatives to petroleum-based fuels to more than 200 Congressional offices. 
 
“American industry has demonstrated the ability to produce high performing technology to meet the demand for alternatives to petroleum fuel,” stated Sam Spofforth, President of Transportation Energy Partners (TEP). “However, insufficient and inconsistent government incentives and support hinder companies’ ability to make the long-term investments required to sustain these clean transportation solutions. We need stable and predictable federal investments to enable fleets and technology developers to make sound long-term planning and investment decisions.” 
 
Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC) was established on October 18, 1996. In our 18 year history, GLICCC has awarded more than 10 million dollars of Federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) funding to various organizations in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. 
 
GLICCC was awarded 14.994 million dollars of the American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  Award recipients include private companies, water districts and authorities, school districts, and utilities, Long Island townships, counties, and villages, as well as Long Island based federal and state agencies. The implementation of GLICCC funded projects has resulted in the replacement of more than 532 Long Island based fossil fuel powered fleet vehicles with alternative fuel vehicles. To service those vehicles, GLICCC has helped fund the construction of 12 Compressed Natural Gas fueling stations, 6 Propane, 26 E85 Fueling station and 24 Electric charging locations across the island. All stations are open to the public. Additionally, our organization has held environmental and alternative fuel educational seminars and First Responder Safety Training on alternative fuel vehicles at various Long Island venues. Last year alone the coalition helped displace over 15 million gallons of petroleum. 
 
Our projects benefit Long Island’s environment and economy, and our nation’s energy security! 
 
About Transportation Energy Partners: Transportation Energy Partners (TEP) is national non-profit organization that brings Clean Cities coalition leaders together with the clean transportation industry to advance policies that will reduce American dependence on petroleum-based fuels. TEP works closely with and provides policy support to the nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions and their 18,000 stakeholders in 46 states. Since 1993, the Clean Cities coalitions have played a leading role in implementing local programs and projects to deploy alternative fuels, vehicles, and infrastructure. The Clean Cities coalitions and their stakeholders have displaced more than 5 billion gallons of petroleum through the use of alternative fuels and vehicles, hybrid-electric vehicles, idle reduction technologies, fuel economy, and low-level fuel blends.