World’s first LNG terminal tractors dedicated at Port of Los Angeles
After two years of development, the marine terminal industry’s first two terminal tractors powered by clean burning LNG were dedicated at the Port of Los Angeles. Tom Giles, CEO of SES Terminal LLC, said “LNG can play a crucial role in helping the Port of Los Angeles move beyond its ‘No Net Increase’ program and actually reduce emissions from today’s levels.”
Source: World’s first clean burning LNG terminal tractors begin operations at Yusen terminals in Port of Los Angeles, Business Wire

Honda and Mercedes-Benz reveal fuel cell plans
Honda’s head of fuel cell development, Youzo Kami, has revealed proposals to transform Japan’s fifth-largest island, Yakushima, into a test area for fuel cell projects and vehicles. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz expects “production maturity” of its fuel cell vehicles to be reached between 2012 and 2015.
Source: Fuel cells wow Tokyo audience, Platinum Today

PA Governor leading efforts to reduce foreign oil dependency
Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell opened the East Coast’s first state-of-the-art biofuels injection facility in Middletown, PA. The plant will replace 3.2 million gallons of foreign oil with domestically produced biodiesel.
Source: PA Governor Rendell leading efforts to lessen nation’s dependence on foreign oil, Yahoo! Finance

$230 million approved for natural gas expansion
The Asian Development Bank has approved $230 million in loans to expand the natural gas infrastructure and delivery system in Bangladesh. The project will entail the construction of four gas transmission pipelines to carry an estimated 360-million cubic feet of domestically produced natural gas per day to western Bangladesh.
Source: ADB approved $230 million loan for Bangladesh natural gas infrastructure, Voice of America

LNG demand may double by 2010
Demand for LNG may double by 2010 and rise a further 62% by 2015 according to Citigroup Inc. This increase is expected due to increased consumption in the U.S. and sales to new markets such as Mexico, Chile and Singapore.
Source: LNG demand may double by 2010 as market expands, Bloomberg

CARB maintains 2007 transit emissions standard
In a unanimous vote, the California Air Resources Board left intact a stringent smog-fighting standard for new buses, but will allow transit agencies to continue buying more highly polluting diesel buses as long as they compensate by retrofitting some older ones. The board decided relaxing the standard would send the wrong message to transit agencies despite diesel engines not being able to comply with approaching 2007 emission standards.
Source: Panel OKs diesel bus trade-off, The Los Angeles Times

MA Senate passes bill to encourage alternative fuel vehicles
The Senate has passed legislation to encourage the development, purchase and use of hybrid and alternative vehicles in Massachusetts. The bill provides funding and creates an infrastructure to encourage the development of alternative fuel technology within the commonwealth
Source: Senate bill provides incentives for hybrid, alternative vehicles use, The Harwich Oracle

University of Virginia to use biodiesel
The University of Virginia will be using biodiesel to fuel its 30-bus fleet following a successful test run this summer.
Source: University bus system becomes eco-friendly, The Daily Progress

DFW Airport receives “green airport” award
The Alliance to Save Energy will present the “Star of Energy Efficiency” award to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport for its work in reducing energy consumption and air pollution. The airport’s “green” efforts include converting a substantial portion of its vehicles fleet to alternative fuel vehicles.
Source: DFW International Airport receives prestigious national award for energy efficiency, PR Newswire

Port of Los Angeles plans for new natural gas vehicles
Bruce E. Seaton, interim executive director at the Port of Los Angeles, announced the port’s plan to pay the full price of new CNG or LNG trucks as part of an emission reduction strategy. The plan also explores the development of one or more LNG and CNG fueling stations within the port.
Source: Port of Los Angeles announces shift toward air quality improvement initiatives, Business Wire

Moscow converting to alternative fuel fleets
Moscow officials are beginning to convert the city’s transportation fleet to alternative fuels. The first 70 buses operating on LNG will hit the streets before the end of the year, with light-duty vehicles expected to follow shortly after.
Source: Alternative fuels for Moscow cars, Gateway to Russia

Bucks County PA proposes CNG buses for clean air
Bucks County has met with Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick to work towards obtaining CNG-fueled buses. The county is hoping the CNG buses would help shed its standing as a non-attainment area for Federal clean air standards.
Source: Newtown RUSH bus line opens, Newtown Advance

Terms proposed for Alaska natural gas pipeline
Alaska, which has an estimated 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, proposed terms for building a $20 billion natural gas pipeline that would boost U.S. supplies of the fuel.
Source: Alaska proposes terms for $20 billion natural gas pipeline, Bloomberg

Neighbors urge Los Angeles ports to rethink rail yard plan
More than 300 harbor-area residents who fear worsening air pollution criticized the Port of Los Angeles’s plans for a new rail yard. Residents charged that the port was dumping the 183-acre facility in a lower-income area and warned the 1 million diesel-burning trucks would pose a serious health threat to residents.
Source: Neighbors urge L.A. Port to rethink rail yard plan, The Los Angeles Times

New Ports of Los Angeles sheriff takes dead aim at air pollution
David Freeman, Chairman of Los Angeles harbor commission, has been charged with cleaning up pollution at the ports while expansion continues. Freeman’s goal is to show how cutting-edge technologies can bring a radical shift away from fossil fuels.
Source: A new sheriff at Port of L.A. takes dead aim at air pollution, The San Francisco Chronicle

Alternative fuels get boost with Statehouse funding
Ohio’s state budget this year includes $150,000 for a program aimed at encouraging gas station owners to start selling E85. The funds are intended to jump-start the availability of alternative fuels in preparation for Ohio House Bill 245, which proposes larger incentives for using alternative fuels.
Source: Alternative fuels get boost with Statehouse funding, MSNBC.com

Baytech announces CARB and EPA certification for NGVs
Baytech Corporation has received CARB and EPA certifications for its CNG-fueled GM 6.0, 5.3, and 4.3L medium- and light-duty vehicles. The dedicated CNG Express/Savana vans, SUVs, and Silverado/Sierra pick-ups are certified to California SULEV and Federal ILEV emission standards, qualifying them for carpool lane access with a single occupant on California highways.
Source: Baytech announces CARB and EPA certifications for dedicated CNG vehicles, Baytech Corp.

Study shows diesel fumes from port raise cancer risk
According to a new study, diesel fumes from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are elevating the risk of cancer not only in areas adjacent to the ports, but also many miles inland. The California Air Resources Board released a draft of the study that concluded potential cancer risk from port-related diesel fumes exceeds 50 additional cases of cancer per million people for residents within 15 miles of the two ports.
Source: Diesel fumes from ports raising cancer risk in region, study says, The Los Angeles Times

Governors give up gas-guzzling SUVs
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson are all trading in their gas-guzzling SUVs in a personalized bid to inspire citizens to conserve energy in the face of tighter fuel supplies.
Source: 3 Govs park SUVs to save energy, Kansas City Infozine

Demand for European biofuels gaining ground
As oil prices continue to soar and supplies become depleted, biofuels are looking more appealing as an alternative transport fuel in Europe. Legislative initiatives seeking to promote environment-friendly fuel alternatives are further supporting an increased use of biofuels, with the European biofuels market projected to generate EUR 1.88 billion in 2005.
Source: Demand for cheaper and cleaner energy to spur growth of the European biofuels market, PR Newswire

San Francisco to benefit from next generation natural gas technology
Westport Innovations will be upgrading 13 heavy-duty refuse transfer trucks with its first US shipment of second-generation LNG-fueled trucks. The upgrade is part of a new agreement with the City of San Francisco and Norcal Waste Systems to provide the cheapest and cleanest LNG trucks ever deployed in North America.
Source: San Francisco to demonstrate next generation Westport HPDI truck technology, CCN Matthews

Biodiesel booming
Sales of biodiesel fuel have increased 25% over the last three months, with biodiesel already saving more than 1 billion gallons of diesel fuel.
Source: Biodiesel market booming, WBIR

Translink to purchase 100 new natural gas buses
Following a motion by North Vancouver Mayor Barbara Shar, Translink’s newest buses will run on natural gas. The proposal to switch the 100 bus purchase back to modern diesels was defeated 7-5 at Translink’s board meeting.
Source: Diesel bus drive beaten back natural gas will power newest 100 coaches for Translink, The Peace Arch News

Cars that guzzle grass
Alternative fuels such as natural gas and biodiesel are helping the DOE realize its goal of commercially available hydrogen-fueled vehicles by 2020. These alternative fuels could reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil and radically reshape the country’s economic landscape.
Source: Cars that guzzle grass, The New York Times Magazine

Study links freeway pollution to asthma
The University of Southern California has conducted a study that bolsters growing evidence that air pollution can cause asthma. The study found children who live close to Southern California freeways have a greater risk of being diagnosed with asthma.
Source: Study links freeways to asthma risk, The Los Angeles Times

Russia LNG plant may be complete by 2007
Russia’s Gazprom may build the first LNG plant in European Russia in 2007, two years earlier than planned. The $1.3 billion project would be implemented simultaneously with Gazprom’s plans to build a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea to Germany.
Source: Gazprom, PetroCan may build LNG plant by 2007, Reuters

Southern California transit agencies lose ‘diesel option’
The California Air Resources Board has eliminated a “diesel option” for transit agency operators when it comes to purchasing new vehicles. Under the change, Southern California transit agencies with 15 or more buses can only purchase alternatively powered vehicles.
Source: Los Angeles transit agencies lose ‘diesel option’, The Daily Breeze

Los Angeles Port must expand without increasing pollution
Los Angeles harbor commissioners are putting pressure on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to continue the planned expansion of the Los Angeles Port while reducing air pollution that threatens the health of nearby residents. The panel’s new president, S. David Freeman, told port managers to accelerate efforts to pinpoint new ways to cut emissions from ships, trains and trucks serving the port.
Source: New harbor panel aims to cut pollution while expanding port, The Los Angeles Times