An award-winning National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) team that assists and guides a nationwide network of Clean Cities coalitions played key roles in the National Clean Cities Training Workshop in Denver, Colorado that attracted more than 180 participants from around the nation who fine-tuned their expertise in strategies for advancing alternative, and energy-efficient transportation fuels and technologies.

The network of Clean Cities coalitions assist the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) to improve the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by working locally to advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels, energy efficient mobility systems, and other fuel-saving technologies and practices.

The seven-member NETL project manager team joined forces with three additional DOE National Laboratories and DOE program staff to execute the three-day training workshop. NETL’s Brett Aristegui, Trev Hall, Nicole Kirby, David Kirschner, Neil Kirschner, Dan Nardozzi, and Erin Russell-Story are the Clean Cities Regional Managers who assisted with workshop that fostered teambuilding and motivation in addition to presenting critical alternative fuel transportation information.

The individuals are part of an NETL team that works to evolve advanced vehicle technologies and expand their use on American highways. Last summer, VTO recognized the team’s work with a team award for contributions toward research, development, demonstration, and deployment of transportation technologies.

At the national level, DOE’s VTO provides resources and information to play a leading role to decarbonize the transportation sector and address the climate crisis by driving innovation within and deployment of clean transportation technologies. At the local level, more than 75 coalitions leverage these resources to create networks of local stakeholders that advance transportation projects. Annually, the Clean Cities effort reduces and replaces the use of approximately 1 billion gasoline gallon equivalents of conventional fuels in the transportation sector, greatly reducing harmful emissions

The 2022 National Clean Cities Training Workshop included DOE’s VTO officials, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels, , national laboratory personnel, and more than 100 Clean Cities coalition directors, co-directors, and staff from across the country.

NETL’s team directly supports research, development and deployment activities including batteries, charging and electric vehicles, advanced engines and fuels, lightweight materials, and technology integration. NETL’s involvement includes executing funding opportunities, negotiating, and managing projects, coordinating interagency agreements and managing contracts to support opportunities using renewable and alternative fuels.

“Our team has the knowledge and experience to make sound decisions to guide and manage technical projects for EERE and VTO. It’s rewarding to help conduct training for the coalitions as we continue to advance efforts to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions produced by the transportation sector,” said Neil Kirschner, an NETL federal project manager. “The work NETL does to increase the effectiveness and minimize the carbon footprint of transportation through the development of advanced fuels such as hydrogen and other technologies will greatly assist EERE’s mission and help us move toward a net-zero emissions economy. This team represent more than 70 years of experience in alternative fuels, vehicles, and advance transportation technologies.”

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By using its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.