Press Release
Event Pictures

Get Plugged into Earth-Friendly Living  May 10th!

OzoneAware and Charge Ahead Colorado invite you to plug into earth friendly living at the Electrify Your Summer event on May 10^th. It’s a fun, free community event featuring:

• The RAQC’s annual Mow Down Pollution law mower exchange
• Discounted Black and Decker electric garden tools
• Electric vehicle test drives provided by Tynan’s Nissan
• Electric bike test rides provided by OPTIBIKE
• Electronics recycling provided by Techno Rescue
• Music provided by KIMN Mix 100
• Free food and drink
• Information about air quality, electric cars and eco-friendly home improvements
• And more!

Click here for a list of items accepted for electronics recycling.

Come out and get amped!

When:

May 10^th, 8 AM – 4 PM

(Please note that participation in Mow Down Pollution requires pre-registration.)

Where:          

Dick’s Sporting Goods Field

6000 Victory Way, Commerce City, CO 80022

Parking Lot H — Just east of Quebec and 60th              

Why:    

The Denver Metro/Front Range region is out of compliance with federal standards for ground-level ozone, a harmful air pollutant caused when emissions from motor vehicles, lawn mowers, and other sources mix with heat and sunlight. Switching to electric lawn equipment and electric vehicles is one way for you to make a positive impact on air quality.

Charge Ahead Colorado will showcase electric vehicles at the Denver Auto Show April 9-13. Come see what electric vehicles are all about!

• Learn about the economic and environmental benefits of electric vehicles
• Get informed about financial incentives and station and at-home charging options
• Map charging station locations near home, workplace or travel routes
• See first-hand some of the most popular electric vehicle models available

Click here for tickets and more information about the Denver Auto Show.

Event Brochure

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is hosting an EV Drive and Charge Event. The kick-off event will showcase four Electric Vehicles charging simultaneously.  Attendees will be able to charge and drive an EV or you may bring your own EV to charge for free.

IBEW was awarded with funding during our first Charge Ahead Colorado application round. We look forward to seeing their charging stations in use and hope you will join us!      

When:    12 p.m. on Thursday, January 16th, 2014

Where:   5660 Logan Street, Denver, CO 80216

For more information on Charge Ahead Colorado, a summary of funding amounts, criteria, eligibility and how to apply, please click here.

Press Release

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (August 22, 2013) – Adams County School District 14 (Adams 14) invites the community to celebrate the launch of three environmentally friendly propane school buses.  These new buses are the result of funding awarded to Adams 14 by the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC).

What:   Celebration to highlight the new fleet of propane buses in Adams 14

• Free hot dogs, chips, and popsicles
• “Test ride” the new buses
• Informational booths

When:   Saturday, Aug. 24, 2013,  11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where:  Adams City High School, 7200 Quebec Parkway, Commerce City

In 2012, the District applied for and received  funding  from the RAQC that allowed Adams 14 to replace three older, high-polluting diesel buses with three propane buses. The addition of the new buses will both improve air quality and reduce fuel costs.  Adams 14 is just the seventh district in Colorado to introduce propane school buses. 

The District’s new buses, which are manufactured by Blue Bird, offer many benefits over conventionally fueled school buses. Not only do they reduce carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and total hydrocarbon emissions, but they also virtually eliminate particulate matter.  Additionally, noise levels on the buses are decreased by as much as 50 percent when compared to diesel counterparts, which makes it easier to hear the children on board.  Fuel costs are also reduced by 40 to 50 percent over diesel buses, and because propane autogas burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel, it results in less engine wear and tear and reduced maintenance costs.

Adams 14 transportation services manager Albert Francisco estimates that replacing the old buses with the new will, on an annual basis, reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 35,800 pounds, save $12,000 in fuel cost and positively impact on-board interaction. 

 “We are pleased to offer improved air quality to our children and our community, as well as significant cost savings to our district, with the addition of these cleaner propane buses,” said Francisco. “We are grateful to the support of the RAQC in helping us make this happen.”

“Both the students and the drivers love the reduced noise,” Francisco continued.  “And, because students don’t have to yell at each other to be heard, there is actually a decrease in student management issues.”

The District took possession of the buses in May; students began experiencing the new buses for the first time at the start of the new school year on August 12.

About Adams 14:
Adams 14 is Colorado’s 26^th largest school district, and serves more than 7,500 students annually. Nestled in the historic community of Commerce City, Adams 14 strives to ensure academic success for every student by providing highly effective classroom instruction, supplemental enrichment opportunities and parent/family collaboration opportunities.  To learn more about Adams 14, visit adams14.org.

About the Regional Air Quality Council:

The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) is the lead air quality planning agency for the seven‐county Denver metropolitan area. The Council’s main purpose is to develop plans and programs to keep the region in compliance with federal air quality standards, with significant input from area citizens, business, and local governments. The RAQC also develops and implements initiatives to help public and private on and off road operators voluntarily reduce emissions and fuel consumption. To learn more about the RAQC, visit www.raqc.org.

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Press Release

Charge Ahead Colorado — a program formed in partnership by the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) to improve air quality and encourage the deployment of electric vehicles — has awarded 13 public entities and two not-for-profit organizations with grant funding to support the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) and the expansion of EV infrastructure. Overall, the program will provide financial support for the purchase of 10 EV fleet vehicles and the construction of 41 new EV charging stations across the state.

The following entities have received funding from Charge Ahead Colorado:

A list of projects and descriptions may be found here.

The new charging stations supported by the Charge Ahead Colorado Program will increase the total public charging stations in the state from 79 to 116. The 37 public EV charging stations being installed under the program will be placed in easily accessible locations such as court houses and transit centers. Many of them will offer free charging, or allow free charging when regular parking fees are paid.  The additional four private charging stations will allow local governments and other entities to expand the use of EV in their fleets.

“While the number of public and private fleets and individuals interested in electric vehicles has grown in recent years, many have questioned whether there are enough charging stations to truly serve EV drivers,” said Ken Lloyd, executive director of the RAQC.  “We are pleased to be partnering with CEO to offer funding that will help to alleviate these concerns and expand EV infrastructure to support the further adoption of EVs in the metro area and across the state. Our air quality will definitely benefit.”

Charge Ahead Colorado is made possible by two separate funding sources: 1. a federal Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) grant awarded to the RAQC by the Federal Highway Administration and administered through the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Colorado Department of Transportation, and 2. Colorado’s state legislature, who in 2009 established a fund within the CEO to administer grants to local governments for electric vehicle infrastructure. The program directly contributes to the RAQC’s efforts to improve the air quality in the seven-county Denver Metro region and CEO’s efforts to continue the upward trend of innovation in the diversity of transportation fuels in Colorado.

“Electric vehicles are a key component of Colorado’s effort to diversify our transportation fuels mix,” said Tom Hunt, Policy Programs Manager at the Colorado Energy Office.  “We are happy to work with the RAQC and our local government partners to remove barriers to EV adoption by expanding access to charging stations.”

The RAQC has opened an additional opportunity for funding for EV and EV infrastructure that will close on July 1, 2013. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit www.cleanairfleets.org for more information. 

The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and Colorado Energy Office (CEO) have opened the second round application period for EV and EVSE funding. Applicants should note a number of changes have been made to the application. Applicants are encouraged to review the updated application carefully. 

Based on applicant input during the question and answer session, the RAQC and CEO have made changes and offered clarifications to the EV and EVSE application. The updates are outlined in the Question and Answer Session Responses. To access the document, please click here. Please review this document in its entirety.

Please click here to access the updated application and review a summary of funding amounts, criteria, eligibility and how to apply.

The RAQC is pleased to announce funding to support the acquisition of electric vehicles (EVs) and installation of electric vehicle charging stations (EVSE).

The RAQC and Colorado Energy Office (CEO) have partnered to provide this opportunity in an effort to improve air quality and encourage the deployment of electric vehicles across the State of Colorado.

Applicants should note a number of changes have been made to the application. Applicants are encouraged to review the updated application carefully. To access the application and a summary of funding amounts, criteria, eligibility and how to apply, please click here.

On November 14, 2012, public and private fleets came together at Sports Authority Stadium at Mile High to dig into dynamic fleet technologies and discover new equipment, upcoming programs and important funding opportunities available to fleets. Find breakout presentations below or click here to see the day’s agenda.

●    Public Fleet Efficiency Track
●    Private Fleet Efficiency Track
●    Natural Gas Vehicle & Infrastructure Track
●    Program & Policy Development
●    Finance Panel
●    Electric Vehicle & Infrastructure Track
●    SmartWay

Click here to view a slideshow with pictures from the event.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Advanced Fleet Technology Forum a success. 

Denver, Colo. – The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC), the lead air quality planning agency for the Denver metropolitan area and a leader in advancing clean diesel technologies, received a $2.7 million Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to pursue additional clean diesel outcomes.

Together with owners and operators of long haul fleets, the oil and gas industry, school districts, public works fleets, refuse haulers and other private fleets, RAQC will work to reduce harmful diesel emissions, greenhouse gases and fuel consumption in the ozone nonattainment area and along the Colorado Front Range. Efforts surrounding long haul and local trucking sectors will be focused on environmental justice areas around northeast Denver and Commerce City when possible.

“Cleaning up diesel vehicles continues to be a priority at both the State and Federal levels. The RAQC expects to maintain a strong diesel retrofit program using innovative technologies and reaching out to more fleets,” said Ken Lloyd, executive director of the RAQC.

The grant will fund projects in a number of targeted sectors, including an effort which will transform over-the-road trucks to improve efficiency and lower pollution through the installation of auxiliary power units (APUs) or fuel operated bunk heaters (FOH) that reduce the amount of time vehicles need to spend idling. Smartway trailer skirts or fairings and the option to install low rolling resistance tires will also be employed.

“The Regional Air Quality Council continues to find innovative ways to leverage clean diesel opportunities across a wide range of sources,” said Carol Rushin, EPA’s deputy regional administrator in Denver. “These funds will have an immediate impact on air quality in Front Range communities and beyond.”

On-Road retrofits will also be completed on vehicles from the oil and gas sector, private fleets, school districts and public works vehicles. Equipment that will be installed includes: new, cleaner vehicles for the oil & gas sector; diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) and closed crankcase filters (CCFs) that reduce tailpipe emissions; FOH for anti-idling; and hydraulic preheat and/or in cab heaters which also reduce the need to idle a vehicle to run power to the inside of the truck for heating, cooling, or electronics. 

This project will coordinate a large collaboration of public and private entities to create a comprehensive and regional approach to reducing emissions and fuel usage. The RAQC will accomplish project objectives by working with partners and area trucking fleets to advance the goals of the Smartway Trucking Program; Encana Oil & Gas, Inc. to provide new, cleaner vehicles for operation in Colorado, and eight school districts to retrofit a number of school buses. In addition, RAQC will educate partners on simple voluntary measures and encourage fleets to adopt policies that reduce unnecessary diesel emissions. Partner fleets will be responsible for educating operators on retrofit equipment and idling reduction efforts.

The RAQC will also work with the Rocky Mountain Clean Diesel Collaborative (RMCDC). The RMCDC assists with fleet identification and outreach activities regarding program operations.  The main goals in the RAQC’s diesel efforts are always to provide cost and fuel savings for fleets and to deliver cleaner air to the citizens of the Denver-metropolitan region.

Littleton, Colo., August 10,2010 – Mayor Doug Clark will accept the keys and a $40,000 check from representatives of the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) at a celebration to put into service two hybrid electric senior transportation buses on Tuesday, August 10 at 11 a.m. at the City of Littleton Service Center, 1800 West Belleview Avenue.  Longtime Omnibus and Shopping Cart riders and drivers will be on hand, along with representatives of Azure Dynamics, manufacturers of the hybrid technology. View Full Press Release.