BOARD MEETING DATE: October 2, 2009
AGENDA NO. 37
REPORT:
Technology Committee
SYNOPSIS:
The Technology Committee met on September 25, 2009. Major topics included Technology Advancement items reflected in the regular Board Agenda for the October Board meeting. A summary of these topics with the Committee's comments is provided. The next Technology Committee meeting will be on October 16, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. in CC-8.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive and file.
Dennis R. Yates, Vice Chairman
Technology Committee
Attendance: Mayor Dennis Yates, in attendance at District headquarters, chaired the meeting. Committee Members Burke, Pulido, and Reyes Uranga were absent due to conflicts with their schedules.
OCTOBER BOARD AGENDA ITEMS
- Execute Contracts to Implement Phase II HEROS Program
On December 5, 2008, the Board approved release of an RFP to implement the second phase of the High Emitter Repair or Scrap (HEROS) Program. Implementation of the second phase will focus on increasing the voluntary rate of participation of identified high-emitting vehicles to scrap or repair the identified vehicles. Two proposals were received by the closing date of the RFP. This action is to execute a contract with Valley Clean Air Now for an amount not to exceed $798,960 from the AB 923 Fund to implement Phase II of the HEROS Program. In addition, this action is to execute a sole source contract with the Foundation for California Community Colleges for vehicle testing and repairs in an amount not to exceed $900,000 from the AB 923 Fund. An action is also requested to allocate $1,900,000 from the AB 923 Fund for the low-income eligible vehicle replacement incentives and vehicle scrapping component of Phase II HEROS Program.
Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the Committee member present communicated his concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
- Execute Contracts to Cosponsor Demonstration Projects for Renewable
Feedstock to Energy and Fuel Technologies
The use of renewable feedstocks for energy production and transportation fuel is a necessary transition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide for domestic energy diversity. These conversion technologies, however, also need to be made as clean as possible, and the proposed two projects investigate this potential. The first proposed project is with Orange County Sanitation District for the demonstration of retrofit gas clean-up and catalytic after-treatment emission control technology on a biogas engine. This second proposed project is with the College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology, University of California, Riverside, for a bench scale demonstration project to produce natural gas from biomass waste using steam hydro-gasification process. The total for both projects is over $2.6 million with cost-share being requested from the AQMD not to exceed $301,369 from the Clean Fuels Fund.
Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the Committee member present communicated his concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
- Execute Sole Source Contract to Demonstrate Natural Gas Powered Police
Vehicle
At its February 2009 meeting, the Board approved the conversion of a Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor to run on compressed natural gas for the City of Redlands Police Department. Since the award, there has been interest in evaluating a CNG-powered Police Interceptor as part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Annual Law Enforcement Vehicle Test and Evaluation Program. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department indicated their willingness to test a CNG-powered Police Interceptor at their test facilities and would provide an existing gasoline-powered Police Interceptor to be converted to run on CNG. This action is to execute a sole source contract with BAF Technologies for the conversion of an existing 2008 model year or newer Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Police Interceptor to operate on CNG. Following conversion, the vehicle would be evaluated by the Sheriff's Department. The total cost for this project is estimated not to exceed $34,500 from the Clean Fuels Fund.
Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the Committee member present communicated his concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
- Issue Carl Moyer Program Announcement for FY 2008-09
At its February 6, 2009 meeting, the Board approved the release of Program Announcement for the FY 2008-09 “Year 11” Carl Moyer Program. Over $39 million applications were received, but due to a combination of the slow economy and the new CARB regulations, many of the projects either dropped out or were found ineligible. This action is to issue a new program announcement to fund projects and encumber the remaining “Year 11” Carl Moyer Program funds.
Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the Committee member present communicated his concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
- Recognize Revenue from Department of Energy and California Energy Commission and Execute Contract to Develop and Demonstrate Fleet of Medium Duty Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
The AQMD anticipates an award through the recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding opportunity in the Transportation Electrification category. The funding opportunity was coordinated through the Department of Energy (DOE) with the aim to further research, development and demonstration activities for plug-in hybrid vehicles. This action is to recognize $45,443,332 in revenue from the DOE and up to $5,000,000 in revenue from the California Energy Commission, and execute a contract with the Electric Power Research Institute to develop and demonstrate a fleet of approximately 378 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in an amount not to exceed $44,522,405.
Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the Committee member present communicated his concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
- Recognize Revenue from U.S. EPA and Execute Sole Source Contract for Optimization and Demonstration of Exhaust Emission Control Technologies for Heavy-Duty Diesel Trucks
On-road heavy-duty trucks contribute substantially to NOx and PM emissions within the South Coast Air Basin. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems and diesel particulate filter (DPF) technologies are capable of significantly reducing NOx and PM emissions, respectively. Staff proposes to demonstrate both technologies deployed as a retrofit emission control system. This action is to recognize $4 million from U.S. EPA and upon receipt of award to execute two sole source contracts with Johnson Matthey Inc., to optimize and demonstrate selective catalytic regenerating and selective catalytic continuously regenerating technologies on on-road heavy-duty diesel trucks at a total cost not to exceed $4,600,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund.
Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the Committee member present communicated his concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
- Execute Contract with New Fleets for Off-Road Emissions Reduction Showcase Program
On October 5, 2007, the Board approved a $1.2 million project to retrofit selective catalytic reduction systems and diesel particulate filters on off-road construction equipment owned by multiple fleet operators. The project presented to the Board identified specific fleets that would participate in the project. One of the identified fleet operators will not be able to participate in the program as a result of the recent economic downturn. This action requests to modify the project to engage new fleet operators in the program and execute a contract with Griffith Company and/or Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County for a combined total amount not to exceed $232,900 from the Clean Fuels Fund.
Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the Committee member present communicated his concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
- Execute Contracts for Technical Assistance for Advanced, Low- and Zero-Emission Mobile and Stationary Source Pollution Control Technologies under Clean Fuels and Carl Moyer Programs
On June 5, 2009, the Board approved the release of two RFPs to solicit proposals to provide technical assistance and public outreach support for advanced, low- and zero-emission mobile and stationary source pollution control technologies for the Clean Fuels Program and incentive programs. Eight proposals were received for the Clean Fuels Program and four were received for incentive programs. This action is to execute seven contracts with technical experts to provide consultation services at a total cost not to exceed $555,000 from the Clean Fuels Program. Further, this action is to execute three contracts with technical experts to provide consultation services for the Carl Moyer program at a cost not to exceed $330,000 from Carl Moyer Program Fund SB 1107 Account.
Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the Committee member present communicated his concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
- Clean Fuels Program Draft Plan Update
In March 2007, the Board requested that staff bring the Clean Fuels Program Plan Update before the Board as a separate item to solicit more direct input before requesting final approval each year in early spring. This action is to receive and file the calendar year 2010 Clean Fuels Program Draft Plan Update with major emphasis on electric and hybrid vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, clean engine technologies, refueling infrastructure deployments, including upgrades to refurbish older stations, and support for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the Committee member present communicated his concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
Public Comment Period - There was no public comment.
The next meeting will be October 16. The meeting was adjourned.
Attachment (DOC, 26k)
A - Attendance