Green Fleet Policy Ordinance

Type: Ordinance

Status: Model

Source File: http://www.cleanaircounts.org/content/Green%20Fleet%20Policy%20Ordinance.pdf

Text:

Section 1 Basis for ordinance

1. The total energy bill in ____ for the City and/or County of _____ was $____ million and in projected to increase by ___ percent to about $____ million by ____.

2. Public agencies and/or departments in the City and/or County of _____ operate vehicle fleets that account for about ___ percent of the City and/or County’s total energy bill.

3. The City and/or County of ____ recognizes that energy use associated with the operation of its motor vehicle fleets exacerbates local air quality problems and results in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change.

4. The City and/or County of ____ recognizes that its agencies and/or departments have a significant role to play in improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by improving the energy efficiency of its fleets and reducing emissions from fleet operations.

5. The City and/or County of ____ recognizes that by improving the energy efficiency of its fleets significant monetary savings will result in the long term.

6. The City and/or County of _____ wishes to exercise its power as a participant in the marketplace to ensure that purchases and expenditures of public monies are made in a manner consistent with the policy of improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

7. The City and/or County of ____ wishes to establish a “Green Fleets” policy addressing the management, operation, and procurement of fleet vehicles under the control of the City and/or County of _____ in order to improve the energy efficiency of its fleets and reduce emissions from its fleets.

Section 2 Definitions

1. “Passenger Vehicle” means any motor vehicle designed primarily for the transportation of persons and having a design capacity of twelve persons or less.

2. “Light Duty Truck” means any motor vehicle, with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or less, which is designed primarily for purposes of transportation of property or is a derivative of such a vehicle, or is available with special features enabling off-street or off-highway operation and use.

3. “Medium Duty Vehicle” means any vehicle having a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 pounds or less and which is not a light-duty truck or passenger vehicle.

4. “Heavy Duty Vehicle” means any motor vehicle, licensed for use on roadways, having a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating greater than 14,000 pounds.

5. “Zero-Emission Vehicle” means (i) any motor vehicle that produces zero exhaust emissions of all criteria pollutants, as defined by 35 Illinois Administrative Code §241.104 (or precursors thereof) under any and all possible operational modes and conditions or (ii) any vehicle that has been certified as a zero-emission vehicle.

6. “Inherently Low Emission Vehicle” means any motor vehicle that meets or exceeds the standards set forth in 35 Illinois Administrative Code §241.104 for Inherently Low Emission Vehicles (ILEV).

7. “Ultra Low Emission Vehicle” means any motor vehicle that meets or exceeds the standards set forth in 35 Illinois Administrative Code §241.104 for Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV).

8. “Low Emission Vehicle” means any motor vehicle that meets or exceeds the standards set forth in 35 Illinois Administrative Code §241.104 for Low Emission Vehicles (LEV).

9. “Electric Drivetrain Vehicle” means any vehicle that employs an electric drivetrain and motor as its primary means of motive force. The vehicle can be powered by fuel cells, electric batteries, petroleum- or alternatively-fueled electric generators, or any combination thereof.

10. “Alternative Fuel” means any fuel that is substantially non-petroleum in nature, is not gasoline or diesel, and is defined as an alternative fuel by the U.S. Department of Energy through the authority granted by the Energy Policy Act of 1992.

11. “Bi-Fuel Vehicle” means any motor vehicle designed to operate on two (2) fuels, one of which is an alternative fuel, but not on a mixture of fuels.

Section 3 Fleet Inventory

1. In order to establish a baseline of data so that the “Green Fleets” policy can be established, implemented, and monitored each department and/or agency fleet manager shall develop an inventory and analysis of the fleet vehicles within that department or agency as of the close of fiscal year ____. This inventory shall include:

a. Number of vehicles classified by the model year, make, model, engine size, vehicle identification number (VIN), and drivetrain type (2-wheel drive, 4-wheel drive), and the rated vehicle weight and classification (light-duty, medium-duty, heavy-duty);

b. Miles per gallon (or gallon equivalent) per vehicle;

c. Type of fuel (or power source, e.g., electricity) used;

d. Average cost per gallon (or gallon equivalent) of fuel;

e. Average fuel cost per mile;

f. Annual miles driven per vehicle;

g. Total fuel (or power) consumption per vehicle;

h. Vehicle function (i.e. the tasks associated with the vehicle’s use);

i. Estimated emissions per mile for each pollutant by vehicle type/class based on EPA tailpipe standards for the following: Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), and Particulate Matter (PM).

j. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) calculations based on gallons (or gallon equivalent) of fuel consumed.

2. Fleet managers from City and/or County departments and/or agencies shall be responsible for providing these baseline data in a reliable and verifiable manner.

Section 4 “Green Fleets” Policy

1. It shall be the policy of the City and/or County of ________ to purchase, lease, or otherwise obtain the most energy efficient vehicles possible that meet the operational needs of the department or agency for which the vehicles are intended.

2. It shall be the policy of the City and/or County of ______ to manage and operate its fleets in a manner that is energy efficient and minimizes emissions.

3. The City and/or County of _______ shall decrease energy expenditures for its vehicle fleets by a total of ____ percent by the year ____, adjusting for inflation and relative to the baseline data established for year ____ through the fleet inventory taken in compliance with Section 3 above.

4. The City and/or County of ______ shall reduce the emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂)from its fleet by a total of _____ percent by the year ____, relative to the baseline data established for year _____ in the fleet inventory taken in compliance with Section 3 above.

Section 5 “Green Fleets” Policy Strategies

1. In order to accomplish the goals stated in Section 4 above, the City and/or County of ______ shall modify procurement procedures, implement policies, conduct reviews, and take other actions as outlined in sub-sections (2) through (13) below.

2. Include a minimum efficiency standard in miles per gallon (or gallon equivalent) for each vehicle class for which the City and/or County has a procurement specification for and include such a standard in any new vehicle procurement specification.

3. Include a minimum emissions standard for each vehicle class for which the City and/or County has a procurement specification for and include such a standard in any new vehicle procurement specifications. This emission standard shall be based on Illinois EPA designations of LEV, ILEV, ULEV, and ZEV.

4. Ensure that a minimum of ____ percent of the passenger vehicles purchase, leased, or otherwise obtained within a fiscal year by the City and/or County of ___ are zero- emission vehicles. Zero-emission vehicles purchase, leased, or otherwise obtained that quantify in another vehicle weight class may, for the purposes of this requirement, qualify as a passenger vehicle ZEV on a one vehicle for one vehicle basis.

5. Review all vehicle procurement specifications and modify them as necessary to ensure that the specifications are written in a manner flexible enough to allow the purchase or lease of alternatively fueled or electric drivetrain vehicles.

6. Review every new vehicle purchase request and modify them as necessary to ensure that the vehicle class to which the requesting vehicle belongs is appropriate for the duty requirements that the vehicle will be called upon to perform.

7. Review the fleet inventory taken in Section 3 above to identify older vehicles that are used infrequently (or not at all), as well as those vehicles that are disproportionately inefficient, and schedule their elimination or replacement.

8. Implement an anti-idling policy prohibiting City or County employees from idling City or County owned or operated vehicles for an excessive period of time.

9. Implement an incentive program for City or County employees to drive efficiently and utilize efficient vehicle operating techniques.

10. Implement an employee fleet trip reduction program by purchasing transit passes for all City or County employees and establishing reimbursement procedures for City or Count employees that use transit or bike instead of using fleet vehicles for work- related travel.

11. Prohibit the use of non-alternative fuels in bi-fuel vehicles for more than ___ percent of the time that they are operated within the City or County.

12. Maintain vehicle at optimal efficiency by reviewing current maintenance schedule for all fleet vehicles and increasing maintenance wherever cost-effective benefits will accrue as a result.

13. Purchase route optimization computer software and train City or County employees to use the software to utilize City or County vehicles in the most efficient manner possible.

Section 6 Monitoring of the “Green Fleets” Policy

1. In order to ensure compliance with the goals outlined in Section 4 above, as well as to monitor the actions outlined in Section 5 above, a “Green Fleets” Review Committee is to be formed. The Office of the Mayor/County Executive will appoint the members of this review committee, with one representative from each of the following Departments and/or Agencies:

a. Budget/Fiscal Planning Department/Agency

b. Energy Department/Agency

c. Public Works Department/Agency

d. Transportation Department/Agency

e. Public Health Department/Agency

f. Purchasing Department/Agency

g. Environmental Department/Agency

h. Public Safety Department/Agency

2. The “Green Fleets” Review Committee shall also include a City or County Council Member, as determined by the City or County Council. The Council Member will be a non-voting member of the Review Committee.

3. On an annual basis, Department or Agency fleet managers shall submit a draft “Green Fleets” plan to the Green Fleets Review Committee detailing how vehicle procurement, fleet operations, and employee travel activity are intended to conform to the “Green Fleets” policy and the “Green Fleets” strategies outlined in Section 5. The “Green Fleets” plan will also include, as an appendix or addendum, an updated fleet vehicle inventory list in the same format as the fleet vehicle inventory completed in Section 3.

4. Each “Green Fleet” plan shall be reviewed by the Review Committee for overall conformity with the “Green Fleets” policy and for completeness in addressing the “Green Fleets” strategies outlined in Section 5. Inadequate plans shall be returned to the submitting Department or Agency for revisal and discussion with the Review Committee.

5. Any appeal of the Review Committee’s decisions must be made in writing to the Committee accompanied by appropriate documentation. Valid reasons for an appeal include unavailability of appropriate fleet vehicles, incremental costs in excess of the full life-cycle savings that would accrue from the acquisition of a given vehicle , and the primacy of a given vehicle’s mission to public safety or a similar area judged to be applicable by the Review Committee.

6. Approval of vehicle procurement requests for each Department or Agency is contingent upon a satisfactory recommendation from the “Green Fleets” committee as to the merit of the Department’s or Agency’s “Green Fleets” plan.

7. The most innovative “Green Fleets” plan implemented shall receive recognition in an annual award to the Department or Agency submitting the winning plan. The “Green Fleets” review committee shall determine the recipient of the award during the annual “Green Fleets” plan review process.