Thu, Apr 21st, 2011

The City of Logan has partnered with the Hocking College Energy Institute (HCEI) and Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) to employ the area’s only natural gas powered street sweeper.  The new sweeper was unveiled at an event hosted by the HCEI on April 21, 2011 in Logan.

The natural gas street sweeper was purchased through funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Cities Grant, available for alternative fuel fleet vehicles, fuel dispensing infrastructure and related projects.  The grant was awarded as part of the Clean Fuels Ohio project, titled the “Ohio Advanced Transportation Partnership.” 

Throughout the winter of 2009, Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) engaged representatives from public and private fleets across the state, holding multiple working group meetings to provide education on funding opportunities and coordination for project development. As a result, CFO assembled a diverse collaboration of stakeholders into a single application for DOE project funding.  In August 2009, Clean Fuels Ohio’s project, titled the “Ohio Advanced Transportation Partnership,” was awarded more than $11 million in ARRA funds to bring cleaner, alternative fuel vehicles and refueling infrastructure to Ohio.

The HCEI will provide the natural gas fuel for the street sweeper.  HCEI is the only educational institution in the United States to offer natural gas vehicle and filling station training.  Hocking offers two complete advanced energy degrees at its LEED Platinum certified Energy Institute.

Clean Fuels Ohio is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the use of cleaner domestic fuels, vehicles, and energy-saving transportation technologies in order to improve air quality and health, reduce climate change, support Ohio's economy and curb dependence on imported petroleum.  

Sam Spofforth, CFO Executive Director, spoke at the event.  Under Spofforth’s leadership, Clean Fuels Ohio has become the largest U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities coalition in the U.S. and Ohio’s “go to” resource for cleaner fuels, vehicles and energy-saving transportation technologies that reduce climate change, increase American energy security and strengthen Ohio’s economy