PROGRAMS

Bridging the Biodiesel Gap - City College Obtains $200,000 Grant from EPA

Although interest in Biodiesel fuel has rapidly expanded over the past year, there remains a need to demonstrate to fleets and distributors across California that commercial scale Biodiesel implementation is possible. To date, widespread implementation of Biodiesel has not been achieved.

This lack of implementation is partially due to setbacks arising from fuel quality issues, lack of infrastructure, low availability, higher costs and lack of awareness and understanding on what the fuel is and how it can be used successfully. Lack of implementation has also been due to a lack of training related to the handling and use of the fuel by fleet managers, drivers, fueling stations, and maintenance personnel.

CCSF has been awarded a 2-year, $200,000 grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop training programs for Biodiesel fuel suppliers and users at all levels. This Biodiesel project will be administered as part of City College’s Alternative Transportation Technology initiative (ATTi) based at the Evans Campus, and involves the region's leading Biodiesel experts. The Biodiesel project team also includes San Francisco’s Department of the Environment, which is focusing on air pollution in the Southeast sector of the City. City College will share the Biodiesel training curriculum with other ATTi centers throughout the State, through its network of community colleges.

According to ATTi Director, Gerald Bernstein, “Biodiesel is not merely a rural issue. The use, emissions and health impacts of petroleum-based diesel exhaust make the need for Biodiesel a serious urban need. This also fits well with the initiatives by the City of San Francisco to promote the use of renewable fuels in municipal fleets.”

This Biodiesel grant is one of several alternative fuel efforts underway at the Evans campus. According to ATTi Project Coordinator, David Dias, “A number of lectures and workshops have already been offered through the Automotive Department and ATTi. Their focus has been on electric vehicles, Biodiesel and compressed natural gas fuels. We are assessing whether there is a demand for a course or program in alternative fuels and where students would like to access such a course.”