Project Details
| Description | Sustainable Solutions Transportation Planning Program Management Clean Fuels |
| Location | Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties, FL |
| Client/Owner | North Florida Transportation Planning Organization |
NFTPO Alternative Fuels Master Plan
RS&H led an alternative fuels, vehicles, and infrastructure master planning effort for the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (NFTPO). To complete the plan, RS&H compiled a baseline and forecast of alternative fuel, vehicles, and infrastructure trends. The team interviewed national and local experts and formed fuel-specific working groups composed of key stakeholders as part of a newly-launched North Florida Clean Fuels Coalition (NFCFC). RS&H helped identify barriers and strategies, as well as develop fundable projects to accelerate adoption of ethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen, natural gas, and propane in the six-county region. NFTPO is currently working through the NFCFC to implement several of these projects.
Alternative Fuels Yield Returns on Investment
RS&H has found that each alternative fuel has a distinct business case that can be applied successfully to a variety of organizations. Natural gas and biodiesel can yield returns on investment for large fleets of heavy-duty diesel vehicles. For smaller fleets with a greater proportion of light- to medium-duty vehicles, propane can improve performance. Electric vehicle technology is changing rapidly and is now well suited for fleets of passenger vehicles. Ethanol sourced from non-food crops and hydrogen present future opportunities.
Alternative Fuels Plan Results in a Sustainable Future for North Florida
The plan inventoried about 1,500 alternative fuel vehicles in the region in 2013. As a whole, they displaced more than 1 million gallons of petroleum-based fuels. Forecasted projects – including several developed as part of the master planning process – are expected to reduce petroleum use by more than 6 million gallons – at minimum – by 2019. Projects will improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save money for fleets.
The plan has helped the NFTPO become a leader in realizing petroleum alternative projects. Alternative fuels, vehicles, and infrastructure are now a major economic development focus in North Florida. A multitude of public and private projects are underway, transforming how the region fuels in little more than a year.
