Applied Research Center Of Alabama

TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND THEREFORE IMPROVE THE SOCIAL WELFARE OF THE STATE OF ALABAMA.

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING:THE CENTER CONTINUED ITS ONGOING PARTICIPATION IN THE LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS FOR JEFFERSON AND SHELBY COUNTIES WITH ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SERVING ON THE TRANSPORTATION CITIZENS COMMITTEE OF THE BIRMINGHAM METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION.

ALTERNATIVE FUELS:THE CENTER PROVIDED OFFICE SPACE TO AND REMAINED ACTIVE IN THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE ALABAMA CLEAN FUELS COALITION, INC. (ACFC), A PARTICIPANT IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S CLEAN CITIES PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM PROMOTES THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS (AF) AND ALTERNATIVE FUELED VEHICLES (AFV) TO EXPAND THE MARKET, CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES, IMPROVE AIR QUALITY, AND TO REDUCE DEPENDENCE OF FOREIGN SOURCES OF ENERGY. ACFC WAS FOUNDED IN 2002 AS AN ALABAMA NONPROFIT CORPORATION. ACFC AND ITS MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS WORKED TO PROVIDE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES WITH INFORMATION ON THE BENEFITS OF AFVS AND TO IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT AFV USES AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS WAS SIGNIFICANT IN ALABAMA IN 2023 AND PROVIDED A REDUCTION IN THE USE OF PETROLEUM OF MORE THAN 18.4 MILLION GALLONS OF GASOLINE GALLON EQUIVALENT (GGE) AND 158,800 TONS OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. THIS EFFORT WAS LED PRIMARILY BY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE ACFC. DURING 2023, ALTERNATIVE FUELS (E85 ETHANOL, B20 BIODIESEL, AND PROPANE) CONTINUED TO BE INCLUDED ON THE STATE FUEL CONTRACT. IN ADDITION TO BEING AVAILABLE TO STATE AGENCIES, THESE ALTERNATIVE FUELS CAN BE PURCHASED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM APPROVED VENDORS IN ALL 67 COUNTIES IN ALABAMA. ACFC PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR ADDITIONAL ALTERNATIVE FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND INCREASED THE AVAILABILITY OF CLEANER BURNING FUELS TO THE PUBLIC IN ALABAMA DURING CALENDAR YEAR 2023 AND BEYOND. INCREASING AVAILABILITY OF THESE FUELS WILL IMPROVE AIR QUALITY. IN ADDITION, OTHER POTENTIAL PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED FOR FUTURE FUNDING AND/OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. ACFC ALSO LED AN EFFORT TO ASSIST THE STATE IN DEVELOPING A STATEWIDE ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN. THIS PLAN WAS USED BY THE STATE TO DETERMINE PRIORITIES AND CRITERIA NEEDED TO DEVELOP A STATEWIDE GRANT PROGRAM TO INSTALL EV CHARGERS AROUND THE STATE. THESE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES SERVE TO LESSEN THE BURDENS OF GOVERNMENT AND ALSO FURTHER A CHARITABLE PURPOSE BY IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH PROMOTES SOCIAL WELFARE.