With the start of a new year comes many opportunities for Clean Fuels Ohio and our stakeholders to engage in policy discussions at every level of government. One of the ways we have historically done this is via the Energy Independence Summit (EIS) hosted by Transportation Energy Partners. Each year, involved organizations from all over the country travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with Congressional Delegates to discuss issues relevant to clean energy and transportation at the federal level.
This year, Clean Fuels Ohio plans to join in the EIS once again – albeit virtually. With the advent of the Coronavirus Pandemic this past year, the ways in which we communicate with our elected officials has changed, but that won’t stop us from ensuring that those representing us in the halls of government hear about what we believe are incredibly important issues facing us.
A few of the issues we’ll be focused on this year are ensuring that electric and alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure funding is included in upcoming economic stimulus packages – so that we can continue building an accessible clean fuels future, potential funding for vehicle deployments related to House Resolution 2, the DERA program reauthorization, and zero/low emissions vehicles. Clean Fuels Ohio will specifically be looking to see movement on the Clean Cities reauthorization bill and on approval of CMAQ funds for alternative fuel vehicles. The FHWA reviews BuyAmerica compliance for these types of vehicles, but some of the BuyAmerica provisions have been restrictive towards certain vehicles due to the way they are built. By expanding eligibility and keeping these funds from being bottled up, Ohio will benefit greatly.
This year, the EIS will take place during two different weeks: March 17-19 will be set aside for conference and informational sessions – and March 22-26 will be for virtual meetings with members of Congress. We would like for any and all of our interested members and stakeholders to be involved in this event as it is a great opportunity for networking and progress on important issues. If you’re interested in joining us in advocating for clean fuel policies, please reach out to Hallie Neuhaus in our Policy and Government Relations shop at Hallie@cleanfuelsohio.org.
We hope you’ll join us at the EIS in advocating for a bright and clean transportation energy future!
