Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition
Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition's (YTCEC) mission is to displace the use of petroleum in the regional transportation sector, improve air quality through reduced harmful exhaust emissions, and increase energy security and sustainability. This is accomplished primarily through the promotion of alternative fuels and vehicles, integrated transportation systems, and energy conservation strategies and technologies that benefit the public interest by reducing energy consumption, particularly of petroleum based fuels.[1]
As the sole regional designee of the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program, Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition (YTCEC) functions as Department of Energy's on-the-ground advocate focused on petroleum displacement activities in the Greater Yellowstone Region. Currently consisting of nearly 90 organizations across the country, the Clean Cities program has been responsible for displacing over 2.5 billion US gallons (9,500,000 m3) of petroleum fuel since its inception.[2]
Affiliation with the Clean Cities Program provides YTCEC with access to regional and national support networks in order to bring a much broader perspective to local transportation projects. It also allows for access to unique funding opportunities related to supporting the Clean Cities mission. This affiliation, along with YTCEC's regional standing as a resource and advocate for sustainable and efficient transportation, creates an ideal scenario for YTCEC to function as a clean transportation leader within the Greater Yellowstone Community in order to lessen the detrimental impacts of local transportation.[3]
History
The Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition was created in a ceremony at Old Faithful in September, 2002 becoming one of some 90 coalitions around the USA designated by the Department of Energy to address the U.S.' dependence on imported crude oil and help find solutions to the nation's energy challenges. Yellowstone National Park serves as the coalition's cornerstone and highest profile stakeholder in collaboration with gateway communities, other parks and agencies and the private sector. One of the few truly rural Clean Cities programs, the Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition encompasses southwest Montana, eastern Idaho and western Wyoming.[4]
The Clean Energy Coalition is a non-profit corporation with a board of 12 directors and administered by a coordinator. More than 100 "stakeholders" participate in Clean Energy Coalition events ranging from email information sharing to periodic meetings and special events.
The Clean Cities program grew out of U.S. Department of Energy initiatives in response to Congress passing the 1992 Energy Policy Act signed by then-President George H.W. Bush. One of the Act's goals is to reduce the amount of petroleum used by the transportation sector by promoting the use of alternative fuels and technologies such as ethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, propane and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The Act mandated that a portion of all vehicles purchased for state and federal government use be Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs), capable of burning one or more of the alternative fuels as well as gasoline.[5]
The Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA)
One of the few truly rural Clean Cities Coalitions, Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition encompasses areas of western Wyoming, southwestern Montana, and Eastern Idaho known as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The GYA encompasses more than 10 million acres (40,000 km2) and is the last intact, temperate ecosystem in the world. This ecosystem consists of two national parks (Yellowstone and Grand Teton), six National Forests (Targhee, Custer, Shoshone, Gallatin, Bridger/Teton, Deerlodge) and two U.S. Fish and Wildlife sites (National Elk Refuge, Red Lakes).[6]
This very diverse region boasts 13,000 ft (4,000 m) alpine peaks, the largest high elevation lake in North America, mountain deserts, the highest concentration of geo-thermal features in the world, and is home to the complete array of animal species that were present in pre-historic times. Additionally, there are permittees that operate three major ski resorts, a commercial airport, large concessioner operations, and dozens of tour guides and outfitters that provide visitor services. Collectively, the area accommodates over seven million visitors annually. Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks are Mandatory Class 1 Areas, as defined by the 1977 Clean Air Act. These areas are subject to anti-degradation practices to maintain their status and protect them from impairment created by manmade air pollution. Notably, the GYA achieved a Clean Cities designation in 2002 as the Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition, the only ecosystem to receive such recognition.
Any well-marketed deployment of alternative fuels/advanced vehicle technologies in this region will receive extensive public exposure to the millions of annual visitors, residents, and business owners in the various 'gateway' cities adjacent to the parks. Tremendous potential exists for collaboration across the region to deploy a variety of alternative fuels and advanced technologies. These will decrease regional consumption of petroleum, improve air quality, create a stronger, more diverse energy portfolio for the region, while setting an example for the nation. The opportunity to successfully display these technologies in use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks will serve to further promote their use in the surrounding communities of Cody, Jackson, Dubois, West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Bozeman, Livingston, and beyond.
References
As of 9 November 2010, this article is derived in whole or in part from the Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition official website. The copyright holder has licensed the content in a manner that permits reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 and GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed. The original text was at "Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition official website"