Louisiana Clean Fuels Honors Louisiana Fleets And Stakeholders For Achievements In Reducing Transportation Emissions
Posted by admin on Dec. 14, 2023 / LCF Press Releases, Awards & Grants / Subscribe 0
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Celebrating Innovation and Commitment: 2023 Clean Fuel Leader Awards Recognize Louisiana Businesses for their Sustainable Fleet Practices
December 15, 2023| Baton Rouge, LA – Louisiana Clean Fuels honored top fleets in Louisiana at an event held at the LSU Center for River Studies on November 29, 2023. The 2023 Clean Fuel Leader Awards ceremony highlighted the exceptional efforts and accomplishments of organizations and individuals dedicated to advancing clean fuel technologies and sustainable transportation practices in Louisiana.
United Parcel Service (UPS) received the highest honor, Clean Fuel Champion, for reducing more than 11, 873 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the LCF territory through the use of a wide range of alternative fuels and fuel-saving strategies across their fleet, including CNG, RNG, E85, and propane. UPS also won top honors as the Top Performing RNG and Propane fleet in Louisiana.
"UPS is honored to receive recognition from Louisiana Clean Fuels, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing air quality for the people of Louisiana. As a recipient of the esteemed Clean Fuels Champion award, we take great pride in our commitment to expanding our fleet of alternative and advanced technology vehicles, which already exceeds an impressive count of 18,000," said Ryan Bankerd, UPS Director of Automotive Environmental and Regulatory Compliance. "Our collaboration with non-profit entities like Louisiana Clean Fuels is vital to our energy agnostic approach, encompassing a wide range of energy sources, from human-powered bikes to carbon-negative RNG. We eagerly anticipate future partnerships that will yield additional Clean Fuel Champion Awards, ultimately leading to improved air quality for the communities and customers we proudly serve."
John W. Stone Oil Distributor received the second highest honor, Clean Fuel Champion Runner-up, for reducing more than 11,800 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. John W. Stone Oil Distributor is the local leader in dockside, midstreaming, and offshore fueling along the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to Venice, Louisiana and into the Gulf of Mexico. Through a mix of using biodiesel, shore-power idle reduction, and fuel economy improvements across their fleet, Stone Oil offset 11,800 Tons of GHGs in 2022. As an early-adopter of shore-power in our territory, which uses grid electricity to power ships while they’re at port, Stone Oil has made a massive impact in reducing emissions in Louisiana. Stone Oil has also made a significant effort to further reduce their impact by replacing older, inefficient engines with more efficient engines across their fleet.
Other notable awards were presented for top performing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), Propane, and EV fleets. Donald Hains of Waste Management (WM) accepted the award for Top Performing CNG fleet. “WM is proud to operate the largest natural gas fleet in our industry and to be a leading CNG consuming fleet in Louisiana,” said Brandon Shaw, WM Gulf Coast Area Vice President. “Recognition as the Top Performing CNG Fleet by Louisiana Clean Fuels is a testament to our commitment to using alternative fuel as part of our initiatives to reduce emissions and advance environmental sustainability.”
The Capital Area Transit System (CATS) took home two awards this year for "Most Improved Fleet" for tripling the size of their EV fleet and reducing a total of 621 tons of GHG in 2022, reporting on 9 electric transit buses in 2022 with a plan to expand to at least 24 buses by 2024. “We are honored to receive the Clean Fuel Leaders Award, a testament to our unwavering dedication to sustainability," said Theo Richards, the interim CEO of CATS. "This recognition fuels our passion to innovate and lead the way in reducing transportation emissions. At CATS, we believe in a future where clean fuels drive progress. This accolade only strengthens our resolve to continue pioneering eco-friendly solutions, ensuring a greener and more sustainable tomorrow for all.”
2023 Clean Fuel Leader Awards Recipients
- Clean Fuel Champion Award - United Parcel Service (UPS)
- Clean Fuel Runner-Up Award - John W. Stone Oil Distributors
- Top Performing Electric Vehicle (EV) Fleet Award - Capital Area Transit System (CATS)
- Most Improved Award - CATS
- Top Performing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fleet Award - WM
- Top Performing Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Fleet Award - UPS
- Top Performing Propane Fleet Award - UPS
- Dealership of the Year Award - Gerry Lane Chevrolet
- Most VMTs Reduced Award - Republic Services
- Innovative Incentive Program Award - Cleco
- Excellence in Public Service Award - Tom Harris, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
- On the Ball Award - Ivan Smith Furniture
- Top On-Road Idle Reduction Fleet Award - Amerigas
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Top Performing CNG Fleet: WM. Pictured left to right: Tyler Herrmann, Ann Vail, Donald Hains, and Scott Barrios. |
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Dealership of the Year: Gerry Lane Chevrolet. Pictured Left to right: Ann Vail, Tyler Lane, and Scott Barrios. |
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Most Improved Fleet & Top EV Fleet: CATS. Pictured Left to right: Ann Vail, Theo Richards, Brandon Songy, and Scott Barrios. |
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Partnering with dealerships to educate the public about the benefits of the alternative fuel vehicles they sell is a major part of the support our coalition provides to the community. One dealership stood out in 2023: Gerry Lane Chevrolet. This dealership was awarded, "Dealership of the Year" for being “all in” on selling EVs and supporting education and workforce development initiatives in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Throughout the year, they were always available to assist in Drive Electric Louisiana and Louisiana Clean Fuels outreach events. From STEM camps for school age children to EV showcases at LSU Baseball games to National Drive Electric Week, we could always depend on them to help organize the events and bring vehicles for display.
Tyler Lane accepted the awards on behalf of his dealership and said, “I feel incredibly honored to receive this award from such a committed organization. It is a privilege to represent and support one of the top Clean Cities coalitions in the nation. While I support all alternative fuel options, my biggest opportunity to make an impact is in the electric vehicle segment. We are arguably the most committed dealership group in the state to selling electric vehicles. This will make a great impact as we continue to operate the #1 volume dealerships in the state for almost all of the brands that we sell. Thank you Louisiana Clean Fuels for all of the great work, and I am excited to continue supporting the mission to further clean fuels in Louisiana.”
LDNR Secretary Tom Harris was unable to attend in person, but accepted the award the following week at the Resilience Summit at the Estuary on December 5th. “We recognize that greater options for energy create economic opportunities for our state, as well as greater energy security for our nation as a whole, and that is why DNR is proud to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program by hosting and supporting the work of the Louisiana Clean Fuels program" said Tom Harris as he accepted the awards at the Resilience Summit. "It is a worthwhile effort, and one that can help our state continue to diversify and grow its economy while remaining good stewards of the natural resources we have been blessed with.”
Also not able to attend the event, Trey Smith of Ivan Smith Furniture has operated a fleet of CNG delivery trucks in Northwest Louisiana for many years and shared these words with us about his award: "We are proud to be the first majority CNG fleet in our industry starting back in 2013. It has been a great move for us both financially and doing what we can to reduce our emissions.”
The 2023 Clean Fuel Leader Awards celebrated outstanding achievements in environmental sustainability, honoring organizations and individuals pioneering clean fuel technologies. Winners like CATS, tripling their electric buses, and Gerry Lane Chevrolet, promoting EVs, showcased remarkable commitment. Republic Services and WM optimized routes and used alternative fuels, while Cleco’s incentives spurred electric vehicle infrastructure. These efforts, along with UPS’s diverse clean fuel usage, significantly slashed greenhouse gases and other criteria pollutants such as NOx, which contributes to poor air quality and contributes to respiratory diseases.
LCF Executive Director Ann Vail and LCF Board President, Scott Barrios of Entergy presented the awards and announced the winners at the event, which was sponsored by Cleco, Marquette Transportation, John W. Stone Oil and Gerry Lane Chevrolet. LCF is proud to honor these outstanding organizations and to recognize the achievements of clean fuel stakeholders who have gone above and beyond in reaching their environmental and transportation goals.
For more information contact:
Ann Vail, LCF Executive Director
(225) 281-7353 | [email protected]
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About Clean Cities: As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), Clean Cities coalitions foster the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by working locally to advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels, energy efficient mobility systems, and other fuel-saving technologies and practices. More information is available at www.cleancities.energy.gov.
About Louisiana Clean Fuels: Louisiana Clean Fuels is a US Department of Energy Clean Cities Coalition, supported by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and member organizations. We are a non-profit organization serving both public and private fleets for over 21 years. The mission of Louisiana Clean Fuels is to advance the nation’s environmental, economic, and energy security by supporting local actions to diversify transportation fuel options. More information is available at www.louisianacleanfuels.org.
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