Funding Opportunity Announcements 

DE-FOA-0001701: NOTICE OF INTENT FOR FY 2017 VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM WIDE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

The notice for DE-FOA-0001701 can be found at the links below.

• exchange: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/#FoaId2debc7ce-747c-4aa2-b81f-ed67eb394098       
• Grants.gov:  http://www.grants.gov/view-opportunity.html?oppId=290129

DE-FOA-0001706: NOTICE OF INTENT FOR “FY 2017 VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES DEPLOYMENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT”

The Vehicle Technologies Office seeks to accelerate the development and widespread use of cutting-edge, advanced transportation technologies that reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.  Research, development, and deployment efforts focus on a broad portfolio that includes vehicle electrification, advanced engines and fuels, lightweight materials, and other technologies that enable transportation energy efficiency.  

VTO seeks to encourage highly-innovative, highly-leveraged, and scalable deployment projects that significantly increase the use of advanced electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, as well as “smart mobility” projects that focus on transportation system-level opportunities to achieve technology-enabled highly energy efficient mobility systems.

It is anticipated that the FOA may include the following Areas of Interest: 

1.) Alternative Fuel Vehicle Community Partner Projects

The objective of this area of interest is to accelerate the adoption of commercially available advanced electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles and supporting infrastructure through community-based partnerships among state and local governments and the private sector.  These projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce U.S. dependence on petroleum, increase local fuel diversification, and catalyze the adoption of clean transportation technologies in other communities through the sharing of best practices and the collection and sharing of data.

2.) Energy Efficient Mobility Systems Projects

The objective of this area of interest is to develop and implement projects, models, and tools that demonstrate and assess the return on investment (ROI) of energy efficient mobility systems that holistically reduces energy consumption while delivering the benefits of new mobility technology.  Projects could include, but are not limited to:

• “Living Lab” projects that invite communities to propose how they integrate advanced electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles and/or smart technologies in a holistic approach that maximizes improvement in energy efficiency.
• Projects that demonstrate and assess the efficacy and return on investment (ROI) of electrification and shared mobility initiatives or other new mobility concepts or technologies that improves energy efficiency.

The notice for DE-FOA-0001706 can be found at the links below.

• exchange: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx?Search=1639&SearchType=#FoaIdeab979b6-e865-4b53-9e77-11248ee32fe0
• Grants.gov: http://www.grants.gov/view-opportunity.html?oppId=290141 

Energy Department Announces Nearly $25 Million to Enable Innovative Electrical Motors Used in Manufacturing

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced nearly $25 million for 13 projects aimed at advancing technologies for energy-efficient electric motors through applied research and development. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Next Generation Electric Machines projects will address the limitations of traditional materials and designs used in electric motor components by cost-effectively enhancing their efficiency, improving their performance, and reducing weight. This effort will support innovative approaches that will significantly improve the technology in industrial electric motors, which use approximately 70 percent of the electricity consumed by U.S. manufacturers and nearly a quarter of all electricity consumed nationally. Read more…

EPA Announces Final 2017 RFS Volumes

On November 28th, the EPA released the final 2017 RFS volumes which raised the total amount of biofuels required for blending into gasoline and diesel from 18.1 billion gallons in 2016 to 19.28 billion gallons (15 billion gallons of corn ethanol). The 2018 biodiesel mandate was left unchanged from the proposal at 2.1 billion gallons earlier this year. Although this increase represents a 10.7 percent ethanol blend, PMAA believes that refiners will continue to use RIN credits to maintain E10 blended gasoline for the foreseeable future. (via LOMCSA)

EPA set the Cellulosic Biofuel obligation at 311 million gallons (EGEs) 

(Via RNG Coalition) The final rule cellulosic requirement is one million gallons fewer than appeared in the proposed rule, but is a 35% increase over 2016. While the Final Rule reflects an increase in renewable natural gas volume compared to the proposed rule, the cellulosic category remained relatively constant in the Final Rule due to a drop in projected cellulosic ethanol volume. 

EPA set the 2017 Standard for Advanced Biofuels at 4.28 billion gallons.

The D5 volume for 2017 is 280 million gallons more than in appeared the proposed rule. It is an increase of more than an 18% above 2016.

The full volumes from the Final Rule are:

In May, EPA proposed a cellulosic biofuel obligation of 312 million gallons and an advanced biofuel obligation of 4 billion gallons. EPA submitted its final rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget in mid-October. RNG Coalition staff met with OMB and EPA on November 8, and pointed to new commitments for 2017 RNG as reflected in the RNG Coalition’s updated data submission.

Conversations with EPA staff earlier today confirm that EPA and OMB accepted the RNG Coalition’s data submission and arguments. If the RNG industry had not demonstrated additional volume for 2017, the overall cellulosic biofuel obligation would have decreased more significantly. 

View the Final Rule HERE.

Read more about the Final Rule HERE.

Louisiana Clean Fuels Annual Meeting & Luncheon

Please CLICK HERE for details.

Please CLICK HERE for the 2017 Membership Drive Form.

Governor’s Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment unanimously adopts resolutions

Press Release (Media/Web)

Governor’s Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment unanimously adopts resolutions

Wednesday, December 14, 2016 9:02 AM

BATON ROUGE – On Tuesday, the Governor’s Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment unanimously adopted the actionable recommendations that will be included in a report to the Governor by the end of the year. Today’s action is a culmination of over six months of meetings held in communities across the State as Task Force members sought input on how best to solve the State’s multimodal transportation needs.

The 10 resolutions include various policy and financing recommendations for addressing the State’s multimodal transportation needs for the Governor to consider as he plans for the 2017 Regular Legislative Session. Most notably, the Task Force has determined that an annual increase of $700 million for transportation is necessary and required in order to finance the important A and B megaprojects across the State and to better serve all users of the transportation system in both urban and rural areas of the state. The other resolutions establish a thoughtful framework within which to generate and strategically invest the new revenue.

“When the Task Force was formed, we were charged with making recommendations to address Louisiana’s multimodal infrastructure needs in a meaningful way and we have met that charge through these resolutions,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “The average driver in Louisiana only pays $108 per year in state gas tax, which has lost purchasing power every year since it was last adjusted in 1990. It takes funding to construct the dozens of key projects that are needed to improve safety, address congestion and facilitate economic development across the State. The time has come to do something about it. We can’t afford to standby any longer.”

“Given President-elect Trump’s discussions at the federal level about investing in the nation’s transportation infrastructure, State action to raise revenue for transportation is even more critical,” Wilson added. “Louisiana is not prepared to participate fully in new federal funding opportunities strictly due to limited revenue needed to successfully compete, match, and draw down additional federal funds.”

Gov. Edwards will review the Task Force report and determine what the Administration will submit to the State Legislature in the 2017 regular Session. Louisiana has a more than $13 billion backlog in state highway and bridge needs, plus another $16 billion is needed to address bigger projects outlined in the Statewide Transportation Plan. These projects include: widening I-10 in Baton Rouge and New Orleans; construction of I-49 South in Lafayette, I-12 on the Northshore; and I-20 in Shreveport and Monroe; replacing the I-10 Bridge over the Calcasieu River in Lake Charles; and a new bridge across the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge. The task force is co-chaired by Secretary Wilson and Maj. Gen. John Basilica, vice president and Gulf Coast district leader for HNTB Corporation.

In June 2016, Governor Edwards announced the formation of the task force. The group’s task was to find investment solutions to address transportation needs in Louisiana and to make recommendations to the Governor for legislative action by January 1, 2017. For more information, please visit the Task Force web page. Over 750 business leaders and citizens participated in regional task force meetings to offer input. These meetings were held in New Orleans, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Houma, Lafayette, Monroe, Alexandria, Baton Rouge and Houma.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is committed to delivering transportation and public works systems that enhance the quality of life. In addition to more than 16,600 miles of roadway, including over 890 miles of interstate, DOTD supports the development of the state’s aviation, marine and rail infrastructures. Through this work, we are able to facilitate economic development, create job opportunities, improve vital evacuation routes, and make critical freight corridors safer and more efficient.

For more information, please visit www.dotd.la.gov, email dotdcs@la.gov, or call DOTD’s Customer Service Center at (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683). Business hours are 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please let us know how we may better serve you: Customer Service Survey.