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| Agencies countywide push to lower fuel emissions By Greg Thomas [ greg@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 11:58 AM PDT With fuel prices continuing to put a significant dent in budgets everywhere, government officials throughout San Mateo County are considering a transition to more energy efficient vehicles. Coastside Fire Protection District is one of those agencies. The idea to purchase a hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle for district use was generated by board member Bruce MacKimmie at the fire board meeting on Aug. 19. He and his wife own a Toyota Prius, the most popular hybrid on the market. “I think that in this day and age, it’s time for a change,” MacKimmie said. “A lot of government agencies are now getting into the act of reducing our carbon footprint. “We’re trying to lead by example and do right by the taxpayers and spend their money wisely and that includes the cars we purchase and the tools we use,” he said. MacKimmie said he’s also pitched the notion of installing solar panels on the roof of the fire station in Half Moon Bay. Board members discussed the possibility of replacing the district’s two Ford Crown Victorias with a single, more fuel-efficient vehicle for staff and administrative use. Consideration of the logistics of such a purchase were handed over to Assistant Chief Paul Cole to research. “The budget’s been approved to replace some vehicles for next year and now I’m looking at the possibility and feasibility of using the concept — whether it’s a hybrid or another type of fuel-efficient vehicle — in my consideration for a new vehicle,” Cole said. “Anything we can do to reduce costs can be entertained.” A number of other service districts and agencies in the county have adopted a similar attitude and are considering dabbling in hybrids and other eco-friendly, fuel-efficient vehicles as well. Tyler Hammer, executive director for the nonprofit public education group, Sustainable San Mateo County, said that at least 13 of the 23 cities in the county are currently in the process of taking on fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles. “It is a trend,” Hammer said. “We have seen it in well over half the cities — starting to replace their fleet with cars with better fuel emissions. They’re doing that strictly economically but also to get themselves ahead of the curve and in line with some of the mandates of AB 32.” California legislation known as AB 32, or the Global Warming Solutions Act, was passed in 2006 and mandates that by 2020 the state reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent. “It’s putting lots of pressure on the cities to take stock and reduce carbon emissions,” Hammer said. And many cities have responded by taking steps to revamp their current motor pools. County Supervisor Rich Gordon serves on the Environmental Quality Committee and said that he sees the trend growing among districts countywide. “Most jurisdictions are recognizing that switching to hybrids where they can gives them cost savings but also has a positive impact on the environment,” he said. Fire Chief Daniel Belville of the San Mateo Fire Department said that his city government has decided to convert its entire fleet of official vehicles to energy-efficient models. District mechanics are working out the kinks to modify pickup trucks with fuel-efficient diesel motors, he said. The fire department there is also waiting on delivery of two Ford hybrids on back order to replace current staff vehicles. Chris Martin runs the motor pool of government vehicles in Pacifica and said he’s been looking into the Chevy Malibu hybrid, a midsize car, to replace the staff’s traditional Ford Taurus and Crown Victoria models. “Recently, the Environmental Quality Committee reviewed a policy of Public Works, who does all the vehicle purchases, and they set a standard that we want all our county vehicles to average 30 miles per gallon,” Gordon said. “We want purchasing in the future to be hybrid or alternative fuel. We’re trying to be as responsive as possible to both the environmental needs and to our wallets.” |