A report released recently by the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition Vehicle shows that while miles traveled in Vermont are less this year than in the previous three years, expenditures on fuel continues to increase. Hybrid purchases have increased to 3% of all new vehicles purchases, whereas gasoline-only powered vehicles have decreased by 2%. The full report can be viewed here.
Chittenden East Supervisory Union is streamlining bus routes so that they will be driving 25,000 fewer miles this year than the last. They are also making fewer stops per development, having high school students walk to corners, and keeping engines fine-tuned to reduce fuel use.
Nationwide, Amtrak saw 14% more riders in July of this year compared to last year. Passengers on the Vermonter line (St. Albans - Essex Junction - New York City - Washington D.C.) increased 23%. Ridership on the Ethan Allen Express (Rutland - New York City) increased 9%.
Keith Armstrong of Armstrong Farm, on Route 7 straddling Pownal and Bennington, has planted sunflowers so that he can turn its oil into biodiesel for use in his 1973 International Tractor. Armstrong is benefitting from partnering with John Williamson of Stateline Farm, who already has biodiesel-making equipment to process his own biodiesel feedstock crops.
As previously reported, Albany based Innovation Fuels is looking to plant pennycress this fall as a possible biodiesel feedstock. Its ongoing efforts to build biodiesel plants in New York have been frustrated by a lack of a sustainable stream of raw materials, one of the reasons why they are looking into developing pennycress as a local crop.
The National Safe Routes to School Task Force has released its final report that includes recommendations to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Congress. The program aims to increase walking and bicycling by schoolchildren to reduce obesity, crash fatalities, and traffic congestion, while improving environmental quality. 
Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the U.S. have decreased for the 6th straight month. The number of highway miles driven from November 2007 to April 2008 in the U.S. fell 1.7 percent from the previous year. Public transit ridership continues to increase as a total of 30 billion fewer miles were driven between November and April. Cambridge Energy Research Associates say the gasoline price shock has finally caught up with consumers. This is the "steepest decline" in U.S. driving mileage since the 1979-1980 Iranian Revolution that caused the oil shock resulting in a significant drop in mileage over those two years, said the Department of Transportation's spokesman Doug Hecox. In April of this year alone Americans drove 1.4 billion fewer highway miles than they did in April 2007. [Source: Reuters]
Why commute five days a week when you could only commute four? Vermont state senator Vince Illuzzi, R-Essex/Orleans has proposed state offices and schools add an extra day to the weekend to help save on fuel prices. As heating and transportation fuels increase Vermonters are spending more and more money. Consequently, if state offices and schools only had to be heated 4 days a week, and if those who are forced to commute long distances in our rural state could take an extra day off a significant amount of money and fuel could be saved. The idea has not been completely written off, but there would be some obstacles to overcome including meeting the required number of school days. The cities of Birmingham, Ala. and Avondale, Ariz. are among an increasing number of places that have decided to implement the 4 day work week. [Source: Burlington Free Press]
Passenger rail all but disappeared in Vermont and many other parts of the nation in the last 50 some odd years, but now it may be making a comeback. Vermont recently appointed Robert Ide, formerly of the Department of Public Service, to direct Vermont's rail programs. Rail advocates such as Mike Coats, chairman of the Vermont Rail Council, are excited that Ide will takeover this position as they are confident he knows what needs to be done to get rail moving again. Ide may not have the easiest ride, however, as the rail system in Vermont is outdated and non-existent in some places. Whereas, people looking to travel out of state by train 50 or more years ago would have several choices, today they have very few. The rail lines that do transport people out of state, such as the Amtrak Vermonter line, have seen increases in ridership of 14 percent and higher in the past year. As a result, Ide and other rail enthusiasts eyeing raising fuel costs and the potential for this viable alternative may have some room to bring rail in Vermont forward. [Sources: The Reformer 1 & The Reformer 2]
Premium gas sales are falling, while cars requiring the higher-octane fuel are rising. In 1997 premium fuel sales held 16.6 percent of the market, in 2007 they claimed only 9.4 percent. From 2006 to 2007 premium sales dropped 0.1 percent. Nevertheless, this year there are 282 new vehicles requiring the fuel, in 2002 only 166 new vehicles required premium as their fuel. Drivers, however, regardless of their car requesting or requiring the fuel are deciding regular or midgrade will do. As a result, gas stations around the nation have been running out of the lower grade fuels for up to two days. Measured by volume, premium sales in March 2008 were 0.4 percent lower than in April 2007. [Source: New York Times]
The past 6 months have been a rollercoaster ride for biofuels. They have been criticized as an environmentally dangerous alternative, and praised as a partial way out of our dependence on foreign oil. Of little mention in this criticism, however, is where these biofuels come from and which of these fuels we should be wary of. There could be an argument against the large-scale production of ethanol from food crops, but how about biodiesel from locally grown canola. Vermont farmers are experimenting growing canola, a crop that could not only be used to produce biodiesel at $2.34 a gallon, but could also help clean up Lake Champlain and other waterways. By pressing the canola seeds the fuel is created and the waste product can be fed to cows, thus the phosphorus from imported dairy feed that pollutes Vermont's lakes, rivers, and streams is cut out. Currently seed presses to create the biodiesel are few and far between, but this could change if farmers decide growing this crop is practical. [Source: Burlington Free Press]
California has enacted regulations that will require labels grading all new vehicles sold in the state on their environmental impacts. The labels, similar to an inspection sticker in that they will be required on all vehicle models after 2009, will show vehicle ratings on a 1-10 scale. A score of 10, the highest possible score, will denote cars with the least environmental impacts. There are separate ratings for smog and global warming. The label will show the average vehicle ratings to exemplify where certain vehicles stand on the spectrum. Mary Nichols, California's Air Resources Board Chairwoman, says the labels will "arm consumers with information", further adding that "consumer choice is a powerful tool in our fight against global warming". [Source: MSNBC]
Hydrogen
Honda unveils first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle intended for mass production. [Source: New York Times]
Hybrid SUVs
Chrysler wants a piece of the hybrid market and looks to SUVs as their niche. [Source: San Francisco Gate]
MPG or GPM
The price per gallon of gasoline continues to be the infamous topic of conversation for most Americans. Recent prices at the pump are no longer causing the typical cringe and the swipe of the credit card. Americans are changing their behavior in response to fuel prices. Moreover, most Americans (8 out of 10) believe high prices are here to stay, thus many are saying lifestyle change is a must. The national average per gallon of gasoline has gone up 59 cents since February of this year. As a result of these price trends, federal data and recent gallop polls show that miles driven in the U.S. have decreased for the past five consecutive months starting in March and counting backwards to November. The U.S. has not seen a decline like this since 1979 when gas shortages caused backups at gas stations nationwide. Furthermore, 6 out of 10 Americans polled by the USA Today said they were carpooling and 82 percent of the 1,007 U.S. respondents to a national energy survey by RBC Capital Markets said they will consider buying a hybrid when they purchase their next vehicle. Seventy one percent of the 1,017 polled by the USA Today said gas prices have caused a financial hardship for their household. [Sources: USA Today & Green Car Congress]
Behavior change in response to high fuel prices does not always come in the form of dependence on carpooling and public transit to save on fuel costs. Fuel thievery is on the rise as prices increase. There have been several reports throughout New England and around the country of gas being siphoned from cars, construction equipment and school buses. Mobile sources of gasoline are not the only targets; oil is also being drained from home heating fuel tanks. In Maine a bus ran out of gas en route to school after several buses were the victims of gas siphoning. Vermont state police and other state authorities are urging truckers and other drivers to lock their gas caps. One hundred and ninety gallons of diesel fuel was stolen from two tractors trailers in St. Johnsbury recently. Officials say if fuel prices continue to increase they expect fuel thefts will also rise. [Source: Boston Globe]
Many people are planning on vacationing closer to home this summer in response to high gas prices. Others have crossed the idea of a vacation out altogether. As a result, resorts, inns, and vacation destinations across the nation including Vermont are opting to provide further incentives to possible vacationers who may be weary of making the trip. Gas credits are the number one incentive many places trying to attract travelers are offering. Some vacation spots, such as the Wilder Farm Inn in Waitsfield Vermont are taking it even further offering, however, rebates for those who drive hybrids or carpool to get to their inn. The Iannuzzi's, owners of the Wilder Farm Inn, have said that four people have already taken advantage of the deal. [Sources: WCAX & The Open Press]
One would think high fuel prices could only be a benefit to transit providers with the mass exodus from the single occupancy vehicle (SOV) to public transit, but unfortunately for transit companies, especially smaller providers, fuel prices are trouble for them as well. Diesel fuel is averaging approximately $4.80 on a national scale and providers like Brattleboro Vermont's BeeLine are feeling the pressure. Rising fuel prices are good news in that ridership is increasing, but even ridership increases mean figuring out how to accommodate to riders on now crowded buses, while still having to face the burden of high fuel costs. The BeeLine for one will most likely be raising its rider fee from 75 cents to 1 dollar, but even with increased ridership and higher fees other options may need to be explored. One of these options may be the elimination of the stop-on-demand service. Nevertheless, Rebecca Gagnon, the BeeLine's coordinator says service cuts would be their last resort to reduce costs. [Source: Reformer]
Vermont car dealers are seeing a change in trends. Some car buyers are simply buying more fuel efficient vehicles, but others who are less willing to jeopardize the image their vehicles provide for them are buying smaller cars to use as second automobiles says Bill Shearer, owner of Shearer Chevrolet in South Burlington. Larry Lussier of Heritage Toyota says many people are ready to trade in their SUVs for smaller vehicles that get better gas mileage. Heritage alone has 49 Toyota Priuses pre-sold and Mr. Lussier said the hybrid electric vehicle would be their top seller in the past few months if they had more to sell. Dan Bokan, the general manager of Shearer Chevrolet said truck sales are down, but cars sales are definitely up. He attributed this to the fact that drivers with a 16 gallon tank vehicle driving on average 15,000 miles per year could save at least $400 switching from a vehicle that gets 20 mpg to one that gets 23 mpg. [Source: Burlington Free Press]
Carpooling may be the quickest and possibly the easiest remedy for high gas prices. In knowing this, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is reworking its system of helping people around the state organize carpools. A new website is set to be online this fall for people to coordinate sharing rides or taking the bus, says VTrans' public transit administrator Chuck Gallagher. The new site aims to be more user friendly with the hopes of linking people to additional forms of alternative transportation. At present Vermont offers 12 commuter bus routes to get people to and from work. Mr. Gallagher says the legislature added another $350,000 to the budget that funds these routes. The new website will offer "one-stop shopping" for transportation options of which carpooling and these bus routes will be a part. [Source: VPR]
The story remains very much the same, gas prices continue to rise as crude oil prices break new records nearly every week. Several people including politicians and oil market analysts are optimistic that prices will soon level off and begin to decrease, but others are saying there is no end in sight for rising fuel costs. In fact, Arjun N. Murti an analyst at Goldman Sachs, who has become what the New York Times call the oracle of oil with several very accurate forecasts, is predicting a coming price surge that will put crude oil above $200 a barrel. If correct, as Murti has been in the past predicting, among other historic points, when oil would surpass $100 a barrel, the price per gallon would rise to $6. Already many areas of the U.S. are paying $4 or more at the pump with crude oil having jumped above $130 a barrel. [Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg]
