Accelerating Alternative Fuel Adoption in Mid-America

Accelerating Alternative Fuel Adoption in Mid-America is designed to increase use of alternative fuel in Kansas and western Missouri by the following approaches: 1) expanding infrastructure along key highways; 2) partnering with local communities where infrastructure investment takes place under the terms of this grant to educate, promote alternative fuels, and create a replicable grass-roots model to expand clean-fuel markets; 3) assisting local communities in first-time alternative fuel adoption and to assist organizations working to expand existing alternative fuel fleets.

Workshops and Fleet Resources

Fleets are welcome to participate in our workshops after the fact. Below is a survey that will help MEC create new deployment guides and resources for fleets who are planning for new alternative fuel deployments; as well as some presentations from our events.

If you would like staff to prepare a virtual presentation with a fleet success story for your agency, school or municipality, please be in touch.

Accomplishments

Grain Valley School District

Kansas City International Airport

  • New electric charging stations to charge their brand-new electric buses (completed 2017)
  • New electric buses, adding 4 to growing fleet
  • Airport Electrification Deployment Guide (tk)

Highway Alt Fuel Corridors

  • Biodiesel is now available at 6 truck and travel stores in northern Kansas (completed in 2020 with more in progress).
  • DC Fast Charging is now available at 2 truck and travel stores in northern Kansas (completed 2021 with more in progress).

Municipal Fleet Deployments

  • New solar charging stations with battery backup for general public in Olathe, Kansas (completed 2021; EVs to come later this year)
  • New CNG pickups and work trucks for operations in El Dorado, Kansas (completed 2018)
  • New CNG refuse haulers in Garden City, Kansas (first truck deployed in 2019; ongoing)
  • New electric vehicle pool cars and updated CNG work trucks in Kansas City, Missouri (ongoing)

Planned Project List and Minimum Outcomes

Planned Project List

  1. DCFC and Biodiesel Corridors:
    1. EV Charging at 3-5 24/7 Travel Store convenience stores in Kansas (I-70 and I-135)
    2. Biodiesel at 24/7 Travel Store in Salina, KS, with deliveries to five other 24/7 retail facilities in the state.
    3. Biodiesel at 24/7 Travel Store in Goodland, KS.
  2. AFV Fleet Expansion:
    1. 10 HD CNG Trucks, City of El Dorado, KS
    2. 10 EV sedans and 26 HD CNG Trucks, City of Kansas City, MO
    3. 10 EV & CNG Shuttle Buses and DCFC, Kansas City Missouri Aviation Department
  3. New AFV Fleets and Fueling:
    1. Propane Fueling (for new propane school bus program), Grain Valley MO R-5 Schools
    2. Biodiesel Blending for campus use, University of Kansas Biodiesel Initiative, Lawrence, KS
    3. 5 CNG refuse trucks, City of Garden City, KS
    4. 3 solar-powered charging stations and EVs, City of Olathe, KS
    5. Repurposing CNG school buses for Olathe School District, DS Bus Lines

Projected Minimum Outcomes

Annual reductions in GHG emissions by Year Three 1,645 Metric Tons
Cumulative reductions in GHG emissions by Year Three 3,377 Metric Tons
Annual reductions in petroleum by Year Three 20,715 Barrels
Cumulative reductions in petroleum use by Year Three 43,675 Barrels
Annual reductions in fuel costs (conservative) by Year Three $435,353
Cumulative reductions in fuel costs (conservative) by Year Three $888,615

To learn more about the project or available funding, contact Miriam Bouallegue.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Vehicle Technologies Program under Award Number DE-EE0008262.