Four Leaders in Development of Clean Air Technologies Today Announce Formation of New Partnership
20 August 1999
Four Leaders in Development of Clean Air Technologies Today Announce Formation of New Partnership
SAN FRANCISCO--Aug. 19, 1999--Be Used on the Proposed High-Speed Water Transit System
for the San Francisco Bay
Four leaders in the development of clean air technologies today announced they had formed a unique partnership to pursue "Clean Marine Opportunities" for use on the new high-speed water transit system being planned for the San Francisco Bay.
The partners are Pacific Gas & Electric Company headquartered in San Francisco, CALSTART of Alameda, the national Gas Research Institute with headquarters in Chicago, and the Austin, Texas-based GANA Inc.
The four partners will be teaming with the Bay Area Water Transit Initiative, an effort spearheaded by the Bay Area Council and the Bay Area Economic Forum.
"The new water transit system holds real potential for easing some of the traffic congestion that plagues the Bay Area, while at the same time addressing the region's air quality issues," said Norman Stone, Director of New Energy Markets for Pacific Gas & Electric. "We want to solidify those gains, and open up large avenues for continued gains in air quality by leveraging the best, most environmentally-friendly approaches to water transit propulsion."
The four partners joined forces to provide state-of-the-art advice and consultation as the Bay Area Water Transit Initiative moves forward. In the future they also may become applicants for federal and state funds which promote the development and application of clean transportation technologies such as compressed natural gas engines.
"Natural gas and dual-fuel engines are being used to great advantage in British Columbia, where they use 88 percent natural gas and 12 percent diesel," said John Boesel, Executive Vice President at CALSTART. "The engines are smooth, quieter running, and do require less maintenance. We want to work with our partners to see if these and other clean fuel solutions can be utilized in an expanded ferry system throughout the region."
The Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), the mammoth federal bill which sets transportation finding priorities through the year 2004, includes an earmark for $300 million to be spent on programs leveraging clean transportation technologies.
Additionally, the California Air Resources Board and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District have announced funding and incentive programs for the installation of cleaner heavy-duty engines. This new partnership will make a concerted effort to secure a reasonable share of these funds for the Bay Area.
"What is happening in the Bay Area is truly exciting, and has sparked a real renaissance around the country in water-based transportation," said Mark Glick, President and CEO of GANA Inc. "It signals an opportunity for the private and public sectors to come together in a set of constructive and mutually reinforcing relationships to evaluate all propulsion and fuel options. There is no good technical reason why this can't be done. Natural gas engines are capable of reducing air emissions by hundreds of tons each year."
The Bay Area Water Transit Initiative, which was launched by the Bay Area Council and the Bay Area Economic Forum at the direction of the State Senate, is intended to relieve the Bay Area of its increasing transportation gridlock and attendant air quality problems.
Fully developed by 2020, the new water transit system would consist of some 120 state-of-the-art vessels shuttling between 30 to 40 bayside terminals while transporting 25-30 million passengers annually. The Initiative was led by a 52-member Task Force consisting of Bay Area civic leaders in the public and private sector, and from the environmental and labor communities.
CALSTART is a non-profit organization dedicated to the design, commercialization, and implementation of transportation solutions that promote economic growth and environmental quality. In addition to serving its 200 members, companies and organizations, CALSTART also is providing clean transportation solutions at Los Angeles International Airport, Yosemite National Park, and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Pacific Gas & Electric is one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the United States, providing natural gas and electric services to more than 12 million people in Northern and Central California.
GANA Inc. is a pioneer in the use of natural gas as a fuel for marine applications, and specializes in turn-key clean air strategies for mass transportation. In 1998, GANA teamed with the Urban Harbors Institute of the University of Massachusetts, Boston, to develop the "Clean Urban Transportation Initiative," a multi-city effort to introduce the use of natural gas as a marine fuel.
The Gas Research Institute, headquartered in Chicago, manages a comprehensive research, development, and commercialization program for the natural gas industry.
The Bay Area Council is a business-sponsored, CEO-led public policy organization formed more than 50 years ago to promote economic prosperity and quality of life in the 9-county Bay Area.
