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Hello
Please consider the following Air Resources Board press release
announcing the winners of the grants to incentivize alternative
fuels on California.  You can read the release online at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr052407.htm .
Thank You
Dimitri Stanich
ARB/PIO

________________________________________________________________

Release 07-17  	   	   	 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2007 	  	

CONTACT: 
Gennet Paauwe
Dimitri Stanich
916) 322-2990
www.arb.ca.gov

$25 Million Distributed for the Advancement of Alternative Fuel
Usage in California

San Diego: The Air Resources Board today announced the names of
forty projects winning grant money to encourage the early
adoption of alternative fuels in California.

"By encouraging the general public to accept and prepare for
alternative fuels we accelerate the transition to advanced
technologies and minimize the environmental and health burdens
associated with energy consuming products," said ARB Chairman,
Dr. Robert Sawyer. "Any action that reduces emissions,
diversifies energy sources, and educates the public of the
benefits of alternative fuels is a boon to the quality of life
in California and is by extension a liberating force for the
rest of the world."

As part of ARB's 2006-2007 budget the California legislature
tagged $25 million for the purposes of encouraging the use of
biofuels and high efficiency, low emitting vehicle technology.
The intent of the Legislature was that these funds be used by
projects that would reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions by using the benefits inherent in alternative fuels.

To distribute the funds appropriately the ARB and California
Energy Commission (CEC) designed a request for proposal that
used comments provided at a September 21, 2006 public workshop
and an additional fifty written comments submitted between
August-October 2006.

Applications were considered in the following categories:

    * Category A- Infrastructure for dispensing E85 (fuel that
is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) and potentially other
alternative fuels ($6 million)
    * Category B- Startup of small biofuels production
facilities ($5.4 million)
    * Category C- Hybrid electric vehicle demonstration projects
($5 million)
    * Category D- Transit bus projects ($2 million)
    * Category E- Incentives for PZEVs and ZEVs ($1.5 million)
    * Category F- Funding for consumer education and outreach
($1.6 million)
    * Category R- Alternative fuel vehicle research ($3.3
million) 


A multi-state agency team comprised of the ARB, CEC, State Water
Resources Control Board, Integrated Waste Management Board,
California Department of Food and Agriculture, California
Department of Forestry, and other agencies reviewed the
proposals and provided recommendations for grants winners in
April 2007.

Staff received 208 responses by the deadline on March 19, 2007.
The total requested by these applications was $160 million.
Staff considered the applicants project cost, timing,
alternative fuels usage, complementary funding source, and
completeness of the application. For categories A and B, staff
also considered business type and evaluated technical
information to support the ability of the applicants to complete
the project with in the two year constraints of the original ARB
budget description. For categories C, D, E, and F, staff
evaluated proposals for knowledge and experience, the
availability of the technology, and business parameters and
operation.The Budget Bill provided that the money be encumbered
by June 30, 2007 and be expended by June 30, 2009.

Awards will be made in late May and June 2007.

For a copy of the report on this program and a full list of the
recipients please go to
http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/altfuels/incentives/052407altfuel_sr.pdf
.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

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