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1 <br /> ORD-2015-019 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: June 16, 2015 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 6-k <br /> SUBJECT: Propane Vehicle Conversion and Refueling Grant Acceptance and Approval of <br /> Budget Amendment#10-B <br /> DEPARTMENT: Asset Management Services, PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> Financial and Administrative <br /> Services <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Brennan Bouma, (919) 245-2626 <br /> 1. Clean Fuels Advanced Technology Paul Laughton, (919) 245-2152 <br /> (CFAT) Grant Application <br /> 2. Alliance Autogas Sole Source <br /> Document <br /> PURPOSE: To receive and implement a NC Clean Energy and Technology Center grant, and <br /> approve Budget Amendment #10-B, to convert 19 vehicles to run on propane and install the <br /> necessary propane fueling infrastructure. <br /> BACKGROUND: On April 1, 2015 County staff responded to a request for proposals from the <br /> North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NC CETC) for Clean Fuel Advanced <br /> Technology (CFAT) 2013-2015 grant funding. The grant program is sponsored by the NC <br /> Department of Transportation and funded with federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funds. <br /> Staff was notified that the application was approved on April 27th. During the month of May, <br /> staff worked to recheck the proposed project to identify and address additional concerns and <br /> expected costs. <br /> The focus of the grant program is making improvements to air quality and running vehicles on <br /> propane instead of gasoline to significantly reduce the emissions per mile of criteria air <br /> pollutants including nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate <br /> matter as well as reducing greenhouse gases by 10%. <br /> Besides air quality improvements, other propane vehicle benefits include: <br /> • Cost savings — Significant financial savings are possible when replacing gasoline with <br /> propane. Currently the savings would be approximately 40% per gallon, but this varies <br /> seasonally and may at times be more expensive than gasoline. <br /> • Options — During times of high cost or low availability of one fuel or the other, these bi- <br /> fuel vehicles could use the cheaper fuel. <br />