As we move further into the New Year, Clean Fuels Ohio is ramping up new initiatives and launching a new brand that will build on success and drive clean transportation further into our economy. Our new brand will help better communicate our state and national leadership on sustainable transportation. A few weeks ago, we launched our new, rebranded website and are incorporating this new look on all our virtual platforms.
We look forward to strengthening existing, and building new, relationships with industry, government, and organizations across America as we move forward together. The website provides updated and relevant content on a regular basis and incentivizes interested parties to reach out to our staff to learn more and take action. The new branding and website will act in tandem to reflect the positive stakeholder experience and reputation of our knowledgeable and growing organization.
Clean Fuels Ohio is ramping up new initiatives and launching their new brand to drive clean transportation into our economy.
CFO is Ohio’s Clean Transportation Resource
In the past two decades, we have become Ohio’s clean transportation resource and a leader among our Clean Cities and industry peers. Our staff has increased to meet these responsibilities, doubling six full-time staff members to 12, plus several part-time staff, in the last three years. We plan to see even more growth as we launch new, and strengthen existing, initiatives in the coming months.
This month, Brandon Jones joins our staff as the new manager of consulting services. This will enable us to better serve goods movement, vocational and passenger mobility sectors, and support Ohio governments with their fast-growing, clean transportation needs and goals with programs like Ohio Green Fleets. As part of these efforts, we hope to begin organizing a national green fleet peer-to-peer network in partnership with other industry players.
CFO is working on rolling back Ohio’s EV registration fee, while leading growth on EV initiatives in 14 states.
CFO is Leading Clean Transportation Campaigns
We are also leading a campaign to roll back Ohio’s excessive EV registration fee, which is not only a drag on market adoption, but sends the wrong signal about the state’s growing enthusiasm and support for advanced clean vehicle manufacturing. Further into 2021 and 2022, we plan on enacting a package of policies that will provide incentives for fleets and consumers to purchase EVs and other clean vehicles.
Together with East Tennessee Clean Fuels, we are leading Drive Electric USA (DEUSA), a Clean Cities and multi-stakeholder collaborative that will build new — and grow existing — EV initiatives in 14 states. DEUSA features an interwoven strategy that includes consumer and fleet education, utility and regulator engagement, state and local policy, EV charging planning, and dealer support. More than 50 leading EV experts across the country have already joined our Project Advisory Committee.
Transportation Energy Partners launched a new initiative focused on advancing all cleaner fuels and vehicles in rural communities across America; this is also on our agenda this year. We are simultaneously expanding our work with Black and Brown communities who face a legacy of environmental racism and injustice that persists today, which includes developing a partnership with EVHybridNoire, a network of diverse electric vehicle owners and enthusiasts. We recently released a report titled Transforming Transportation in Communities of Opportunity: The Cleveland Report in conjunction with EVHybridNoire that analyzes inequity in electrification in low and moderate income communities and what that means for the EV market and future advocacy work.
CFO supports RNG, EV programs, increased use of biodiesel, and propane autogas as part of our clean transportation agenda.
Many existing initiatives will continue and grow, including our support of renewable natural gas (RNG), interventions to support utility EV programs, our Decentralized Mobility Systems program for electrifying shared mobility, NGV-UP TIME, and EV-WATTS. Our partnership with the Ohio Soybean Council to increase the use of biodiesel, as well as our partnership with the Propane Education and Research Council to drive increased use of propane autogas with an emphasis on renewable propane autogas, have also been added to our 2021 agenda. The team at Clean Fuels Ohio is ready to tackle the issues affecting our communities within the state and those around the country with the same passion that has always motivated us.
