January 2008

Happy New Year!

Thank you for your support of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition (ACFC) in 2007. The ACFC's strength is in its membership. Our team efforts to develop a sustainable market for alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles in Alabama are proving successful. Please consider just a few of the recent activities and initiatives by the ACFC during just the second-half of 2007:

• Grand Opening of the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority CNG public access station
• Auburn University Tiger Transit moves to biodiesel use in all student transportation vehicles
• Reached funding agreement with the City of Birmingham to provide a grant for installation of E85 infrastructure at their four fueling locations. Construction to begin in the first quarter of '08
• Active Participation in the Alabama State Legislature's Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Energy - Phillip is Vice Chair of the Bio-fuels & Alternative Fuels subcommittee. Mark is a member of this and the Research & Development subcommittee. Significant progress towards drafting incentives legislation for alternative fuel production and use/transportation in Alabama to be introduced in 2008 session
• Facilitated U.S. Under Secretary of Agriculture, Gale Buchanan's visit to Hoover Fleet Management for an overview on alternative fuel use in the city. Facilitated multiple other meetings at Hoover Fleet Management with state, city and local representatives interested in alternative fuels ... our continued gratitude goes to the City of Hoover and David Lindon for his time and efforts
• Participation in the Department of Energy's Clean Cities retreat in Kentucky where Mark received recognition as the national "Apprentice Coordinator of the Year" for his alternative fuel activity in Alabama
• Presented the "Alabama Alternative Fuels" story at multiple speaking engagements around the state
• I-65 Clean Corridor Workshops held in Decatur, Birmingham and Montgomery - well attended with valued participation by many of our members - followed by the announcement by Governor Riley of the first round of infrastructure grants for E85 and Biodiesel retail stations on the corridor.

The Best is yet to come in 2008!

We will continue our I-65 Clean Corridors initiative and will see new stations offering E85 and B20 biodiesel open on this important corridor in the first half of the year. We are constantly looking for additional opportunities to further the use of alternative fuels in Alabama. To that end we:

• Applied for and successfully received grants to continue infrastructure development, outreach and education on biofuels around the state:
• to provide marketing support and infrastructure grants for up to 30 biodiesel pumps along Corridors X and V (ARC Grant)
• to hold five (5) workshops directed to promoting the use of B20 soy biodiesel in our 165 state school districts (USB Grant)
• to conduct three alternative fuel workshops in 2008 (ADECA Grant)
• We continue to work diligently to bring comprehensive alternative fuel infrastructure incentives to our state. A bill known as the Alternative Motor Fuels Security Act of 2008 is being drafted for introduction. Watch for a January 22nd "event" at the State Capitol to kick off the efforts of the Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Energy!

The ACFC will continue to build on our many successes and lead the effort to bring Clean Fuels, Clean Air, and Clean Cities to Alabama. If you are not currently a member of ACFC please consider joining or making a tax deductible contribution to help further the efforts.

We thank you again for your interest and support of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition in 2007.

It is going to be a Great '08!!!.

Sincerely,