The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) was passed to reduce our nation's reliance on foreign petroleum and to improve air quality with provisions that address all aspects of energy supply and demand. Several parts of EPAct were designed to encourage use of alternative fuels - those not derived from petroleum - that could help reduce dependence on imported oil in transportation.
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) was passed to reduce our nation's reliance on foreign petroleum and to improve air quality with provisions that address all aspects of energy supply and demand. Several parts of EPAct were designed to encourage use of alternative fuels - those not derived from petroleum - that could help reduce dependence on imported oil in transportation.
To that end, UNM's Physical Plant has purchased eight alternative fuels light duty vehicles (LDV's) from Zangara Dodge in Albuquerque to further improve upon the state government fleet percentage of LDVs required to meet the EPAct. The Physical Plant's Automotive Center along with UNM Purchasing have become UNM's watchdog in regards to the purchase of Alternative Fuel Vehicles.
“According to the federal law, 75 percent of a state government fleet must be capable of operating on alternative fuels,” said Dan Apodaca, PPD Automotive Center supervisor. “UNM is one of the state leaders in meeting EPAct with more than 150 alternative fuel vehicles, and we greatly appreciate vendors like Zangara Dodge that help us meet compliance requirements.”
”I have no problems with UNM as far as compliance,” said Dick Leonard, alternative fuels program manager, Energy Conservation and Management Division for the State of New Mexico.
The eight utility vehicles UNM purchased from Zangara Dodge are flatbeds that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 2,300 pounds. This means they are more than capable of carrying cargo and a variety of amenities including toolboxes, ladder racks, and various equipment storage options. The vehicles are called GEM's, (Global Electric Motorcar), and operate solely on electric power stored in six, 12 volt batteries. The batteries are wired in a series, which means they have a total output of 72 volts. Recharging takes place by simply plugging the vehicle in at a standard 110-volt outlet.
The vehicles, which can go up to 25 mph, are street legal on roads posted 35 mph or less. That is one of the reasons UNM purchased the GEM's as university maintenance crews periodically travel across Lomas, Central and University Blvds.
“The GEM's will also be campus friendly as they are extremely quiet and are compact enough to get into even the tightest areas,” added Apodaca.
Congress established several regulatory activities within EPAct that focus on building an inventory of alternative fuel vehicles in large, centrally fueled fleets in metropolitan areas. EPAct requires certain fleets to purchase a percentage of light-duty AFVs, which are “capable” of running on alternative fuels, each year. Some types of vehicles are excluded.
A state government fleet is covered and must meet the requirements of the Energy Policy Act if all of the following conditions are present: it owns, operates, leases, or otherwise controls 50 or more light-duty vehicles within the United States that are not on the list of excluded vehicles; at least 20 of those vehicles are used primarily within a single Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)/Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA); those same 20 vehicles are centrally fueled or “capable of being centrally
fueled.”
”The Physical Plant at the University of New Mexico has done a real good job as far as increasing UNM's alternative fuel vehicles," Leonard added. “UNM is above the 75 percent mark most of the time. If they (UNM) continue the way they have been, they'll be in fine shape.”
EPAct also includes the voluntary acquisition of light, medium, and heavy-duty AFVs. This area of EPAct is implemented through DOE's Clean Cities Program, which helps create markets for alternative fuels and AFVs through public/private partnerships in more than 80 U.S. cities.
Vehicles are considered centrally fueled if they are capable of being refueled at least 75 percent of the time at a location that is owned, operated, or controlled by any fleet or under contract with that fleet for refueling purposes.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821
Posted by scarr at June 9, 2005 05:55 PM