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Making California’s State Fleet of Cars the Greenest in the World: Why I'm Glad Governor Schwarzenegger Signed AB 236

Ted Lieu.jpg By Ted Lieu
Member
California State Assembly

Like most environmentalists, I’m very proud of the leadership role that California takes in green policy. We were the first state to tackle urban smog, the first one to rid bars and nightclubs of cigarette smoke, and, as of last year, the first state to begin the process of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

But if California is going to hold our position as the world’s leader in creating a cleaner planet, we should start by making sure that our State Government is doing everything we can to keep our own house in order.

So it was with considerable interest that I learned late last year that, while the Department of General Services (DGS) has purchased over 1,100 “flex-fuel” vehicles (that can run on either gasoline or alternative fuel), virtually none of those cars have used a single drop or alternative fuel. What’s worse, the vehicles that were purchased, such as the flex-fuel Chevrolet Impala, when run on gasoline, are actually more polluting than the cars they replaced.

DGS also keeps little or no record of where cars bought with taxpayer dollars are kept, who’s using them, or what type of fuel they’re consuming. In fact, if they had looked at it, they were buying over a thousand vehicles statewide that could run on E85, when there’s only one E85 station in the entire state.

That’s why, in January of this year, I introduced Assembly Bill 236. This bill begins the process of cleaning up this mess by: requiring the Department of General Services (DGS), by the end of 2008, to purchase only highly efficient alternative fuel vehicles; mandating that those cars be run on alternative fuels by July 1, 2009; and requiring the State to come up with a plan to reduce the State’s gasoline consumption by 20% by 2020. Finally, the bill would, for the first time, record the location of cars in the State Fleet, and track their fuel use.

AB 236 was co-sponsored by CALSTART (if you’re not familiar with them, check them out at www.calstart.org) and the Bluewater Network/Friends of the Earth, and gained the support of environmental and public health organizations, including the Coalition for Clean Air and the American Lung Association.

Sometimes when you introduce a bill, you benefit from a little luck on your timing. In July of this year, the San Jose Mercury News got wind of this issue, and ran a series of articles exposing the problems with the State’s “green” fleet. Suddenly what had been just an environmental bill became a BIG press issue.

After those articles ran, Senator Dean Florez held several hearings of the Senate Governmental Organization Committee to hold he Administration’s feet to the fire. Senator Florez also signed on as the principal co-author of my bill.

Well, I guess we got the Governor’s attention, because this weekend he signed AB 236 into law. I’m thrilled that the Governor has taken the principled stand that his Administration needs to clean up its own act. Now I just hope that this Administration and future ones will follow through on this commitment to make California’s state fleet the greenest in the world.

I also want to thank my good friends at CALSTART and Bluewater Network/Friends of the Earth who worked with me and my staff, and for the many other organizations who supported my bill with letters, calls, and lobbying visits. This was truly a group effort.

Assemblymember Ted Lieu represents the 53rd Assembly District, which encompasses the Southern Coastal region of Los Angeles County.

Posted on October 16, 2007

Comments

Green fleet?

Corn ethanol fuel policy increases California oil use and oil profit

Dr. Russel Long / Bluewater network authored the 2002 (corn ethanol) Pavley bill

* Clean Air Performance Professionals (CAPP) supports a Smog Check inspection & repair audit, gasoline oxygen cap and elimination of dual fuel CAFÉ credit to cut car impact over 50% in 1 year.

* Some folks believe corn ethanol in gasoline increases oil use and oil profit

* Ethanol uses lots of water

* A Smog Check audit would cut toxic car impact in ½ in 1 year. Chief Sherry Mehl, DCA/BAR, has never found out if what is broken on a Smog Check failed car gets fixed, never

* A corn ethanol waiver would stop a $1 billion California oil refinery welfare program coming from the federal government @ $0.51 per gallon of ethanol used

* About 60,000 barrels per day of the oil used by cars is allowed by the "renewable fuel" CAFE credit

George W, Big 3 & Jones - Pacific Ethanol along with the oilies are loving the green

Clean Air Performance Professionals

Posted by: Charlie Peters at October 16, 2007 09:55 PM

Ted Lieu like many others in government... needs to get his facts straight. Although, I do commend Assemblymember Lieu in his enviro agenda. And I do agree, we in California need to be first in environmental leadership... his position on DGS and their purchase of FFV needs to be reviewed. Now I agree that DGS could be doing more to operate these vehicles on ethanol, but attacking DGS for their push to get these vehicles into the State fleet is so wrong. We need to have the State take leadership and purchase these vehicles so that there is an opportunity for fueling station owners to carry the fuel (E85) at their fuel locations. DGS should be commended for purchasing and moving us all in this direction.

The Impala that Ted Lieu refers to in his article in much cleaner than the vehicles they replaced. This comment is so far off base. It is silly to make this comparison, since they replaced vehicles that were generally 7 years old and common sense would dictate that newer vehicles would perform better in emissions.

As far as Charlie Peters comments about ethanol. I say.. get off the corn ethanol rhetoric. You must be reading too much and/or influenced. I guess I missed the part with your suggestion. What would you like to do.... DO NOTHING? Let's continue down the same energy road or continue to put $'s into the same pockets. Ethanol may not be the perfect answer, but it is part of many paths that will help. We need to start somewhere. DO NOTHING...continue down the path... is not an answer!

Posted by: Jonas Beluw at October 17, 2007 05:01 PM

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