From the Executive Director

High gas prices, depleting oil reserves, unrest in oil-rich countries and global brown clouds have all converged to create the perfect storm for the alternative fuels industry. Until recently, alternative fuels were overlooked as a quirky non-fit for transportation fuels. Things have changed dramatically and as a Simmons & Company International analyst recently said, "I firmly believe the biggest challenge alternative energy has in front of it now is to execute."

In April of this year the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi) enjoyed the popularity of alternative fuels as we welcomed record numbers of people to our 13th annual conference. I've been in this industry for over two decades and I never could have imagined the intense interest I witnessed as fleet managers demonstrated their hunger to understand how to incorporate green vehicles into their fleets. Here are just some of the questions and comments we received in our evaluations.

"How do I develop a green fleet plan?"

"How do we decide what to invest in for the near future with fuels and technology so my agency can plan and budget better?"

"How do I assess the impact of multiple alternative fuel vehicles on my fleet maintenance department?"

"What guarantees do I have regarding the ease, safety, reliability and manageability of different systems?"

"Is there one place I can go to understand how to receive tax credits, government grants and eligibility?"

As I looked at our staff, I believe I detected a "be careful what you wish for" look on their faces. We have waited for this day to arrive. Since April, we've spent countless hours assessing the feedback and weighing the various options we have to step up to the plate. We've had more consulting inquiries in the past six weeks than any other time in the history of AFVi. We're taking some of those, but we want to be able to help a broader audience. We heard that you need information and that's what we are going to give you. AFVi's "Learning Marketplace" is up and running. A learning marketplace is designed to provide you with easily accessible information that is current, informed and available to you today. More than 500 fleets signed up for a webinar held in April that served as an introduction to building an alternative fuel fleet. From there, we've created an ambitious schedule with commitments for a number of webinars, forums and training courses. We encourage you to keep checking back for new announcements on our website, but for now, here are just a few of the offerings coming up in the next few months.

June 26   The Funding Connection:  Federal Funding and Incentives for
               Alternative Fuels and Vehicles Webinar
               10:30 a.m. to Noon (pacific time)
               Click here to register.

Sept. 20  Biofuels Drive Economic Solutions Forum
               Las Vegas, Nevada
               8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sept. 27  The Light-Duty Vehicle Connection Webinar
               10:30 a.m. to Noon (pacific time)
               Click here to register.

Oct. 11    The Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Connection Webinar
               10:30 a.m. to Noon (pacific time)
               Click here to register.

Nov. 6-7  The Fleet Connection:  Fundamentals of Building
               an Alternative Fuel Fleet
               Chicago, Illinois

Stay tuned. This is just a taste of what will be offered by AFVi. If you have suggestions of general topics or training that would be helpful for you, please don't hesitate to let us know.