During the 2012 Clean Cities Peer Exchange and Vehicle Technology Deployment Workshop, Tuscon Clean Cities Coalition was awarded the Top Award for Greatest Displacement of Petroleum Using E85. The award came from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) who thanked the coalition for the work they are doing to reduce petroleum consumption.

There are around 100 Clean Cities coalitions across the United States. These groups bring together stakeholders in the public and private sectors to deploy alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, and emerging transportation technologies. DOE cities Clean Cities coalitions as also advancing the nation’s economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local actions to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector.

Robert White, Director of Market Development for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), thanked Tuscon Clean Cities Coordinator Colleen Crowninshield for her dedication and hard work. White, who has had the opportunity to work with Colleen and her coalition, also congratulated her on her success. It is interesting to note that the winning coalition, was not from the Midwest – rather the Southwest.

“The DOE’s Clean Cities Program has been instrumental in expanding the use of alternative fuels and decreasing our dependency on foreign oil. The efforts of Coordinators like Colleen Crowninshield highlight the impact to the ethanol industry, but also to consumers and fleets across the country. It also stresses the importance of infrastructure development nationwide, as the most successful Coalition with E85 is not from the Midwest, it is from Tucson, AZ,” said White.