Wednesday, 16 May 2001
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.
We decide not to torture attendees with an early start today, so around 9:00 a.m. the final sessions get rolling. The “States’ Rights" group is discussing the legislative action on the local and state levels that has powered alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) market advances. I think back to Jack Doyle’s book, Taken For a Ride, and recall that California’s tough clean-vehicle standards drove changes on a national level. The panel also discusses the industry synergies that states should consider. For example, turning agricultural waste streams into fuel diversifies the agricultural market and makes it a part of the climate change solution.
Another group is examining the AFV resale market — without a resale market it will be difficult for fleets to make the AFV investment. The last group is talking about international issues, which I think will be a major driver of the alternative fuel industry.
A natural-gas Civic GX.
Just when I think everything’s just about done, I get an offer from Honda. They had a natural-gas Civic GX in the expo hall — “the cleanest car on earth” — fitted with a light bar and ready for a parking enforcement or security agency to slip it into its fleet. They ask me if I could get it into such a fleet in Philadelphia. I never turn down these opportunities and am already thinking of three fleets that can use it during the four-week trial. The local benefits of hosting the conference have been tremendous, and I am encouraging people to take on the task.
By 1:30 p.m., the hotel has pretty much cleared out, the amazing conference staff from the National Renewable Energy Lab have packed their gear, and I am driving the Civic to a host utility, PECO Energy, until we can deliver it to a local fleet. I’m ready to take a deep breath when my pager goes off. Our executive director wants to make sure that I get the green building contract signed before the end of the week, and I need to start looking at bid specifications for white reflective roof coatings. Clearly, the conference is over — let the juggling begin.
