Green Machines Road Trip

Discussing Climate Change with Mr. Dingell

This week the Green Machines Tour participated in two town hall meetings to discuss climate change with Congressman John Dingell. It’s quite interesting that Dingell, who’s been the House Representative for the Dearborn / Ann Arbor area in Michigan for over 50 years, is now Chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee and in the position to craft climate change legislation.  Sure, he has a history of helping to establish some significant environmental laws – like the Clean Air Act, among others - but what’s his history in terms of fuel economy and efficiency? He does, after all, represent thousands of auto workers and has several assembly plants and auto companies in his district.  Given this, can we trust him to draft effective climate change legislation? (Picture courtesy of Project Hotseat)

Michigan's Future as a Biofuels Leader

Today the Green Machines Tour was at the Capital in Lansing, MI to watch the Governor’s Renewable Fuels Commission present their recommendations to the state legislature.  The Commission has been hard at work for the past 8 months debating policies to promote biofuels in the state.  The Green Machines Tour’s Charles Griffith was appointed by the governor to be on the commission, and he fought to incorporate recommendations that would ensure the sustainability of biofuels.  What came out of his and the other commissioners’ efforts is a broad set of regulations and incentives that would propel Michigan into a leadership role in the bio-energy sector – but only if the governor and legislator act on them.

Green Machines Tour "Re-Energizes" in Taylor, Michigan

The GMT headed to Taylor, MI this month to participate in a Town Hall Meeting addressing the challenges of oil dependency and global warming.

The event focused on solutions that begin in Michigan, with an exciting and diverse panel that included Reverend Dr. Bob Edgar, Director of the National Council of Churches, R. James Woolsey, Former Director of the CIA; Lana Pollack, President of the Michigan Environmental Council; and Michigan Senator Raymond E. Basham, District 8.

Saving Oil and Greening Fleets in Michigan

Along our way, we listened as President Bush delivered his State of the Union address where he laid out his goal of a 75% reduction in America's use of Mideast oil.  While we certainly agree with the goal, we have our doubts about the plan to actually get us there.  Let's just say that the administration's track record for addressing the nation's "addiction to oil" has been somewhat less than stellar.  That's why our Green Machines Tour is asking for your help in calling on Congress to take stronger action to "Save Oil and Save Jobs."

Back home in Michigan, on a cold January day, we met with some of the people that are taking action to save oil.  The Ann Arbor area Clean Cities Coalition has been one of the leaders of the Green Fleets movement.  We met at the City of Ann Arbor's fleet garage where fleet services manager Tom Gibbons operates his fleet of nearly 400 vehicles, most of which use renewable and alternative fuels.  Tom showed off his super-sized "bio-diesel" tank and fueling station, which uses a minimum of 20% bio-diesel in colder months, and up to 50% blends of the renewable diesel fuel in the summer.  The City also runs part of its fleet on clean-burning natural gas (CNG), and also maintains a public CNG filling station.  While it plans on adding E-85 "flex-fuel" vehicles in the future, the City currently uses a 10% blend of ethanol in all its gasoline-powered vehicles. 

Significant to the City's progress was passage of a Green Fleets policy in 2004 that set a 10% reduction goal of gasoline and diesel fuel use by 2012.  According to the City's Energy Coordinator, Dave Konkle, the City had already surpassed this goal in 2006, achieving an 11% reduction.  Konkle also estimates reduced greenhouse gas emissions of 7%.  In addition to the City's use of renewable and alternative fuels, savings have also been achieved through fleet downsizing and the purchase of vehicles with higher fuel economy. 

Its not just the City that has been greening fleets in the Ann Arbor area.  Sean Reed now manages the local coalition that also includes the University of Michigan, Washtenaw County, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, and a host of other public and private fleet operators.  Notably, the University of Michigan has been one of the early pioneers in the use of E-85 and biodiesel, with one of the largest fleets (over 400) of flex-fuel vehicles anywhere in the country.  All in all, area Clean Cities partners have put more than 1,850 renewable or alternative-fuel vehicles on the roads in Washtenaw County, displacing more than 1,300,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel. 

Green Manufacturing in Ohio

This morning we were in Toledo, Ohio, meeting with Lloyd Mahaffey, Director of UAW Region 2B.  Lloyd told us about initiatives in Ohio that are aimed at generating jobs in the green manufacturing sector, and mentioned some really innovative ideas.  He talked about a landfill located adjacent to Chrysler’s Jeep plant in Toledo that is burning methane.  He envisions producing ethanol from the methane and using it to fuel Jeeps as they come of the line.  With the Jeep plant producing 300,000 Jeeps per year and filling them with 10 gallons of fuel each, that’s a lot of ethanol that would create a bunch of jobs in the neighborhood.  He also envisions using geo-thermal or wind energy to help power a plant in Maumee that is scheduled to shut down.  That technology could significantly reduce energy costs at the plant and might make the facility more desirable to potential investors. 

We also talked to Lloyd about a Ford Transmission plant in Sharonville that is producing advanced six-speeds that help save fuel.  Ford is looking to expand production, since the new transmissions are being used in so many of the company’s new and upcoming models.  Mexico offered Ford $90 million in incentives to build the transmission there. Lloyd is hoping that the newly elected officials in Ohio and Congress will step up and make an effort to attract those kinds of green manufacturing jobs by offering similar incentives.

With energy and global warming becoming increasingly important economic and political issues, we were thrilled to see a leader like Lloyd with so many innovate ideas and taking real initiative to move things forward.  And, were also pleased to see him take action by signing our pledge.

Greening Fleets in Chicago

Next we drove down to Chicago, or at least one of its suburbs, to talk with members of the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition.  These are primarily local government folks that are leading the way on purchasing clean fuels and clean vehicle technologies in the Chicago metropolitan area.  We stopped by the fleet garage for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, where we spoke with the Preserve's fleet manager, John Walton.  DuPage has become somewhat of a national model, where John helped to champion the Preserve's goal of 100% alternative-fueled vehicles over 10 years.  With more than 162 vehicles in its fleet, the Preserve is already well on its way.  In case you were wondering, a Forest Preserve District is a unique governmental body that manages the public lands within the county.  In most cases (in Illinois at least), forest preserve districts are governed by the County board.  Not the case in Dupage County.  Their governing board is separate, keeping the land preservation mission front and center.  Part of that mission is also the Preserve's commitment to cleaner air, and reduced energy use.

We also spoke with Darwin Burkhart, who chairs the broader Chicago Area Clean Cities (CACC) coalition.  He told us about other success stories in the Chicago area, such as the purchase of hybrids (note his red one in the picture above) and the use of E-85 in the City of Chicago, and the extensive use of biodiesel in the City of Evanston.  The CACC coalition is part of the federal Clean Cities program run by the US Department of Energy, which has now spurred a network of more than 80 Clean City coalitions throughout the country. 

Rounding out the visit was a conversation with David Christopher, the finance and marketing VP for the region's largest retailer of E-85 fuel--Gas City.  With more than 20 stations carrying E-85 in the Chicago area, Gas City has made using an E-85 vehicle a convenient option for the city's residents.  While Gas City has made a commitment to E-85 "for the long haul," Mr. Christopher explained that many owners of flex-fuel vehicles still aren't aware they can use E-85 in their vehicles.  He said there's still a need for a public education campaign to help people become aware of the benefits and availability of these new fuels.  Toward that end, Gas City and its E85 fuel supplier, VeraSun Energy, have formed partnerships with both Ford and GM to expand consumer awareness about the availability of E85 in the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest.

Energy and the Apollo Alliance in Wisconsin

Posted by Bill Holland
Apollo Alliance's Midwest Field Director

On Monday I was able to meet up with the Green Machines Tour as they rolled through Madison, WI. In my role covering the Midwest for the Apollo Alliance, I hear the same stories the Tour is promoting. Stories about huge opportunities to invest locally, develop regional solutions and position the Midwest as a leader in emerging energy technologies. And on the flip side, stories of good jobs moving overseas, an aging workforce and infrastructure and increasing pressure on small towns and family farms.

The Apollo Alliance was launched in 2003 as an initiative to create good jobs in new energy technologies. Inspired by President Kennedy’s original Apollo mission, we believe a massive program to end America’s dependence on foreign oil could unite American’s of all stripes and create millions of jobs while we’re at it. Our plan calls for a federal investment of $30 billion a year for 10 years to develop and commercialize technologies leading to energy independence.  Sure it’s a big plan. But it’s a big problem too. And whether it’s the Space Program, our national railway system or the Marshall plan that rebuilt Europe, America is at its best when we think big.

While in Madison we were able to meet and talk with some of the leaders helping push local leaders to understand the opportunities “Green Machines” present to Wisconsin and the Midwest.

Growing the BioEconomy in WI

After leaving the snowy cornfields of Iowa, we headed East through beautiful hill country and the Great River valley, eventually arriving at the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison. We started out our day at the hilltop offices of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, where we met with Secretary Rod Nilsestuen and his top policy director, Gary Radloff. The Secretary shared his strong optimism for growing Wisconsin’s bio-economy, tying together the strong agricultural and forest products industries in the state with its vibrant manufacturing sector. This means not only producing new biofuels made from cellulosic crops and wood products, but also developing new bio-based products that begin to replace conventional petroleum-based feedstocks. These efforts not only promise to add new jobs and economic opportunity within the state, but also prevent energy dollars from leaving the state. The Secretary also shared his strong commitment to encouraging local ownership in the new bioeconomy, emphasizing the additional value-added to local communities when dollars are kept, and then largely spent, within the local community.

Mr. Radloff discussed with us the state’s innovative policy strategy for growing the bio-economy. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle recently announced a $450 million initiative to create 17,000 high-end jobs in bioindustry and renewable energy. The initiative consists of a creative public, private investment strategy to encourage new biofuel and renewable energy investments, including: production of biofuels and bioproducts, E-85 and biodiesel fueling stations, and new renewable technology research. $80 million of public funds would be used to leverage more than $370 in private investments, through loan guarantees, low-interest loans, tax credits and grants. The plan drew on the recommendations of the Wisconsin Consortium on Biobased Industry, a 20-member panel established by Governor Doyle. For more information about bio-based initiatives in WI, see: http://power.wisconsin.gov/

Plug-ins in Minnesota?

One of the other meetings we attended while in St. Paul was the Legislative Task Force on Plug- in Electric Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV).  The Task Force was established by the legislature last year to identify barriers to plug-in hybrid vehicles and possible financial incentives to encourage Ford to produce such vehicles at its St. Paul plant. 

Plug-in hybrids are an advanced form of hybrid vehicle that allow for extended driving in an all-electric mode.  They do this by incorporating a larger battery pack and the ability to plug-in to an electric outlet to recharge the batteries.  Electric-drive offers the potential for more efficient use of energy to move the vehicle, though this partly depends on the energy source for the electric power used to charge the batteries (e.g. dirtly coal plants v. renewable energy like wind or hydropower).

Saving the Ford Twin Cities Plant

Today we officially kicked off the Green Machines Road Trip at the Ford Twin Cities plant here in St. Paul. UAW Local 879 is hosting a Labor and Sustainability Conference focused on the climate crisis and worker-friendly strategies for addressing it.  The local represents retirees and about 1800 workers at the Ford plant, half of whom have just taken buy-outs from Ford, and the rest of whom will be laid off or transferred when the plant shuts down next year.

Right now workers here build the Ford Ranger, a small pick-up truck that hasn’t been re-designed in over a decade (yes, a decade!)--but they won’t be for long. They had been expecting an announcement about the shut down for some time, considering that the vehicle and the plant had not received any investments for so long. They finally received it on April 13 last year.