More than 30 people attended the Fredericksburg City Government’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle Workshop on October 27, 2022.
Attendees learned about alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) technology from the Virginia Clean Cities (VCC) project team and from AFV industry experts ABM, Sonny Merryman Inc., Roush CleanTech, and Blue Bird.
The Drive Clean Rural USA project is a step for the city as it diligently works to achieve the City Council’s goal of powering municipal operations with 100% renewable energy by 2035. As a part of this project and workshop, all three entities undergo a fleet assessment to establish a baseline for fleet operations. By participating in this effort, the city aims to plan and identify opportunities to transition to a clean fuel-powered fleet city-wide.
Those in attendance represented the City of Fredericksburg Government, Fredericksburg City Public Schools, and the University of Mary Washington as a part of Fredericksburg’s participation in the Drive Clean Rural USA project.
This past August, the Fredericksburg Police Department debuted three hybrid patrol vehicles into their fleet, with five additional vehicles expected next year. In 2021, Virginia Clean Cities completed the Police Department’s fleet assessment which led to purchasing of the city’s first hybrid patrol vehicles.
Earlier this year, Fredericksburg City Public Schools worked with Virginia Clean Cities to acquire its first electric school buses. FCPS received $2.5 million in grant funding from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to purchase 10 electric school buses through the Clean School Bus Program.
These joint efforts help meet the city’s sustainability commitments by working together to increase energy efficiency and lower carbon emissions. The city’s continued partnership with Virginia Clean Cities is instrumental in successfully transitioning to a green fleet.
Drive Clean Rural USA is a pilot project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, supporting 24 localities across the nation. Virginia Clean Cities organized the recent workshop as the grant’s sub-recipient and the city’s Environmental Sustainability Program.
