Clean Cities coalition efforts averted more than 6.8 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 658 million gasoline gallon equivalents (MGGEs) of petroleum in 2014 alone.
Each year, U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities coordinators characterize the membership, funding, projects, and activities of their respective coalitions. After evaluation and analysis, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) summarizes and publishes these findings. The latest summary of the data is now available in the Clean Cities 2014 Annual Metrics Report.
The Clean Cities 2014 Annual Metrics Report includes data submitted about sales of alternative fuels; deployment of alternative fuel vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles; idle reduction initiatives; fuel economy activities; and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
Clean Cities’ petroleum-use reduction in 2014 led to a substantial reduction in GHG emissions, the pollutants that contribute to climate change. Coalition efforts averted more than 6.8 million tons of GHG emissions in 2014. In addition, coalition efforts saved nearly 658 MGGEs petroleum in 2014 alone—19% higher than the reported petroleum savings total in 2013.
As of 2014, Clean Cities has saved more than 7.5 billion gallons of petroleum and more than 48 million tons of GHG emissions since its inception in 1993.
The increased use of alternative fuels and the deployment of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) accounted for the most substantial displacements of GHG emissions and petroleum. In 2014, the use of alternative fuels and AFVs, in addition to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in electric vehicles, helped avert more than 2.1 million tons of GHG emissions. These savings are equivalent to removing 464,992 cars from the road.
Alternative fuels (used in AFVs and in biodiesel blends) and HEVs also accounted for approximately 553 MGGEs in 2014, or 86% of the total petroleum savings. This was an increase of 19% over the amount of petroleum that was saved in 2013. In 2014, the average AFV saved 859 GGEs of petroleum and avoided 3.3 tons of GHG emissions—a 10% and 2% (respectively) increase from 2013.
For more information, read the full report or see the Clean Cities Goals and Accomplishments page.
- Kendall Septon, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
- technicalresponse@icfi.com
- 800-254-6735