The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Cities Coalition Network (Clean Cities) is an effective, well-established organization that facilitates on-the-ground efforts to promote alternative fuels. Clean Cities is integral to the success of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Alternative Fuel Corridor Program. Clean Cities coalitions not only support corridor designation nominations, but they also lead corridor initiatives, provide technical support, and convene stakeholders.
The first Clean Cities coalition was established in 1993, and there are now over 80 local coalitions working in communities across the country to advance affordable, domestic, and clean transportation fuels through public-private partnerships. Coordinated by the DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office, Clean Cities coalitions advance the nation's energy and economic security promoting the adoption of alternative fuels, fuel-saving technologies and practices, and new mobility choices, as well as improve access to alternative fuel infrastructure.
The Clean Cities Network greatly values the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the Federal Highway Administration on the Alternative Fuel Corridor Program to achieve our shared objectives of expanding access to alternative fuel infrastructure and providing clean and resilient fuel choices to end users.
- Dennis Smith, National Clean Cities Director, U.S. Department of Energy
Through activities such as education and awareness campaigns and providing technical assistance, Clean Cities has made a significant impact in the market. As of 2019, Clean Cities has assisted in the efforts to place more than 800,000 alternative fuel vehicles on the road and helped achieve a nationwide system of more than 30,000 stations that offer at least one alternative fuel. Additionally, Clean Cities engages with more than 16,000 stakeholders across the U.S. and harnesses their collective efforts to reduce reliance on imported oil and increase fuel diversity.
Clean Cities has also played an integral role in FHWA's Alternative Fuel Corridor Program since its launch in 2016. The program provides a formal process for designating alternative fuel corridors based on the availability of alternative fuel infrastructure along National Highway System corridors. As of 2019, approximately 145,222 miles of the National Highway System have been designated as alternative fuel corridors across 49 states and Washington, D.C. Clean Cities supported many of these designations and has advanced on-the-ground efforts to expand the network of corridors.
Since 2017, Clean Cities coalitions were able to select corridor and infrastructure planning as one of their optional tasks under DOE cooperative agreements with active coalitions. Participating coalitions organize and facilitate alternative fuel infrastructure planning activities, support designation of corridors, research and prepare alternative fueling readiness plans, and plan for future fueling infrastructure development where current corridor gaps exist. About 65 percent of Clean Cities selected this task and are engaging in activities such as creating maps to analyze corridors for nomination, convening stakeholders, evaluating potential signage locations, connecting with businesses about hosting alternative fuel infrastructure, and providing technical information to inform decision making (Figure 1).
Across the country, Clean Cities coalitions are leading numerous projects and activities supporting alternative fuel corridor development. For example, Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities is working to establish 290 miles of I-45 as a zero emissions vehicle corridor, with hydrogen and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to support travel along this heavily-trafficked corridor strategic for freight transport. Utah Clean Cities leads CORWest, a project that strives to remove barriers to private alternative fuel station development, deploy EV charging stations in rural regions, and support consumer education and stakeholder engagement initiatives. The Michigan to Montana I-94 Clean Fuel Corridor project led by Gas Technology Institute is a partnership that includes several Clean Cities coalitions, including South Shore Clean Cities, Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities, Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition, North Dakota Clean Cities Coalition, and Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition. It aims to ensure alternative fuel refueling needs are met along a 1,500-mile span of I-94 from Port Huron, Michigan to Billings, Montana.
Another Clean Cities-led corridor initiative is the Southeastern Corridor Council. The East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition and Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition engage every Clean Cities coalition in the region through this 10-state initiative, which aims to increase corridor signage, solve identification and directional signage issues, and improve collaboration between State department of transportation officials and Clean Cities coalitions. As a final example, the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition is one of seven Midwestern Clean Cities coalitions raising community awareness of EVs through a program led by the American Lung Association called Midwest EVOLVE, which stands for Electric Vehicle Opportunities: Learning, eVents, Experience. Midwest EVOLVE educates consumers, as well as public and private fleets, about the benefits of EVs and works to facilitate deployment of public charging stations across the Midwest.
These are just a handful of examples that demonstrate the critical role Clean Cities has in creating a robust network of alternative fuel corridors. In addition to these initiatives, Clean Cities coalitions actively participated in FHWA's Regional Alternative Fuel Corridor Convenings, a series of collaborative events in support of the Alternative Fuel Corridor Program which strengthened coordination among the varied partners involved in planning and implementation of alternative fuel corridors. As FHWA's Alternative Fuel Corridor Program continues to grow and evolve, Clean Cities will remain a strong partner in achieving the program's objectives.
