In May 2021, Centralina Regional Council held its annual Region of Excellence Awards ceremony to recognize important achievements in the areas of cross-community collaboration, local government innovation, leadership and improvements to quality of life, clean fuels and older adult advocacy. The Clean Cities Award was presented to the Charlotte Department of Transportation for implementing fleet improvements as part of the Strategic Energy Action Plan (SEAP). Several goals are listed in the SEAP including participation in Duke Energyâs Integrated Resource Plan, the development of three new EV charging locations that will provide 13 additional chargers through infrastructure installations beginning this fiscal year, the introduction of an electric street sweeper and installing up to 874.4 kilowatts of solar capacity that would generate 1M kwh of zero-carbon electricity, a projected savings of approximately $3 million over the life of the solar units.
As of August 2021, the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) has completed several activities to support their goals in the Strategic Energy Action Plan implementation, including purchasing eight electric vehicles (EVs) last fiscal year to increase their already expansive light-duty electric vehicle motor pool, proactively installing EV chargers across city-owned properties and working with ChargePoint for public access. They have also trained employees on EV charging protocol and are exploring options with heavy-duty equipment. These actions will reduce greenhouse gases, increase charging infrastructure and create a friendlier EV city.
Chris Davis, CDOT Operations Supervisor and Fleet Manager had the following to say about the SEAP and its impact on CDOT:
âSEAP [Sustainable Energy Action Plan] efforts make operational and financial sense. Alternative fueled vehicles powered by electricity, propane Autogas, and compressed natural gas are helping Charlotte achieve environmental goals. Alternative fueled vehicles are closing the gaps on cost and efficiency parity with traditional internal combustion vehicles (ICE) while reducing maintenance, fuel cost, and emissions output.
Charlotte invests in electric vehicles (EV) and has invested in light to medium-duty vehicles powered by propane Autogas and compressed natural heavy-duty refuse trucks. In addition, auxiliary power units (APU) on some vehicles are now battery-powered vs. diesel. Charlotte’s investments in alternative-fueled vehicles demonstrate Charlotte’s commitment to SEAP, our environment, and a clean energy future.â
The purpose of Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (CFCC) is to reduce petroleum usage while reflecting sustainability. CFCC is proud to support stakeholders as they transition their fleets to cleaner fuels to reach local environmental sustainability goals. If your organization is looking to implement a sustainability policy or make the switch to a cleaner fleet, CCFC is happy to assist. Please contact Coordinator Jason Wager at jwager@centralina.org or Co-Coordinator Carina Soriano at csoriano@centralina.org to talk about your organizationâs next steps.
