April 2023

issue 2-2023

Trucking with Clean Fuels COnference

& Zero Emission Convoy 2023

They are a collaborative group that meets to facilitate development of EV charging stations and to increase the number of EVs in the San Joaquin Valley. Their meetings are via Zoom on the second Thursday of the month. Follow the links below for more info.

www.facebook.com/groups/sjvevp

projectcleanair.us/sjvevp/

www.linkedin.com/groups/6927328/

UPcoming Events

• Add some recycling bins to your home or office - turn it in and make some extra cash.
• Bring a reusable coffee cup to your favorite coffee shop.
• Use a refillable water bottle - less plastic in the landfill.
• Spend sometime outdoors - Connect with nature.
• Fix water leaks around your home - save the planet and your money.
• Eat locally - visit your Farmers Market or purchase locally sourced produce.
• Plant a backyard vegetable garden.
• Start a Compost Bin - have some high nutrient soil for your vegetable garden!
• Use Earth friendly cleaning products - easy to make, less cost.
• Lower the temp on your hot-water heater, it will use less natural gas and save you money.
• Always have your reusable shopping bags in your vehicle - then they will be there when you need them.
• Have a no TV day - get outside and get into nature.
• Make sure your computer is set to power down when you are away from it.
• Take your e-waste to an authorized collector - keep it out of the landfill.
• Fundraise for your favorite local environmental charity.
  

Clean Energy Fuels Liquid NAtural Gas Site Tour

At the beginning of April, I had the opportunity to tour a Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Facility. The day was bitter-cold and windy at the Clean Energy Fuels LNG Facility in Boron, California.

When some of the NG is fed back into the line to the supplier, it is considered "cleaned" or “softened”. It is then is fed into a cooling tower from the top, and as it falls through the tower, it is chilled down to -261 degrees Fahrenheit with Liquid Nitrogen. The nitrogen has to be re-cooled during this process to keep chilling the ambient temperature NG. It is then moved to the storage tank. This tank holds up to 1.5 million gallons of LNG. On this day, it contained 1.3 million gallons.

Also attending the site tour was John Marlow, VP of Project Clean Air's Board, and Business Development Manager for Clean Energy Fuels, and Alley Moyers, the Director of SJVCCC. Tim Montalbano was guide for the tour. He and another employee handed out safety equipment in the form of hard hats, safety goggles, and ear plugs.

Tim explained to us the process of converting Natural Gas (NG) to LNG. It begins with obtaining the NG from a supplier, and then it is cleaned with Amine to remove Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulfide. This process is called “sweetening” the natural gas. It gets "wet" during the cleaning process. It is dried using a powdered desiccant.

We then watched a tanker truck pull up to have the tank filled for delivery. The truck then pulled onto a large scale, and we watched as the weight of the truck climbed. They measure the LNG by weight, not by volume. This process usually takes about an hour. The entire tour was fascinating, I was grateful to learn so much about this process.

The growing alarm over climate change is laying the groundwork for a future quite different from today. Although there is a wide variety of clean fuel sources available (Biodiesel, Natural Gas, Hydrogen), it is battery electric power that is garnering the most acceptance in the light-duty fleet. In the near future, the transportation industry will need to expand its adoption of energy sources that are zero-emission, reliable, and safe. The acceptance of electric vehicles (EVs) marks the arrival of a future that is environmentally sustainable.

As more EVs make their way into the driveways of family homes, onto the streets and highways of towns and cities, the chances of an accident involving an EV increases exponentially. This means that fire departments, police departments and all other first responders will need to become proficient in the safe navigation of an accident scene that involves an EV. The response is markedly different in key aspects from the response to accidents involving internal combustion engines. To be prepared for the electric future of transportation, first responders will need to expand their skillsets and gain the knowledge and experience necessary to safely respond to these accidents.

Project Clean Air hosted a First Responders Electric Vehicle Safety Training to prepare for the future.

Captain Chris Womock with AFV Educate, provided a smart, educating, and very entertaining training. He provided his audience detailed explanations and real-life examples. There was a hans-on portion of the training with vehicles provided. These vehicles allowed responders to see the concepts and practices discussed in the training.

We are looking forward to hosting more of these events, thank you to Captain Womock.

San Joaquin Valley Clean Cities Coalition (SJVCCC) is one of 75 other coalitions in the U.S. It serves nine counties in the San Joaquin Valley: San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and Kern Counties. The coalition's mission is to reduce air-polluting emissions in the transportation sector. SJVCCC obtains its goals through community projects like education, incentives, and infrastructure. It also facilitates implementing fleets to use alternative fuels such as Natural Gas, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, and Electric Motors. SJVCCC was established in the San Joaquin Valley in 1993 and continues to serve to this day.

Visit us at

projectcleanair.us