From the City of Fredericksburg:
In response to City Council’s Priority for a Clean and Green Fredericksburg and their recently adopted 100% Renewable Energy Resolution, the Fredericksburg Police Department (FPD) has partnered with Virginia Clean Cities (VCC) for guidance on alternative fuel vehicles. It is intended that this effort, as a pilot project on a portion of the City’s fleet, will be a model for the remainder of the City’s fleet over time.
The FPD currently consists of 39 patrol vehicles and 22 administrative vehicles. Working with VCC places the FPD on a path toward converting their fleet to cleaner vehicles. The goal is to reduce petroleum consumption and emissions, advance air quality, and reduce expenditures for petroleum fuel, all while promoting a cleaner environment for Fredericksburg’s residents and visitors.
Electrify Virginia is a Virginia Clean Cities project launched in 2019 that provides direct no-cost assistance to municipalities for planning, and is supported by a grant to help plan for electric vehicles in Virginia in the heavy duty sector. VCC also provides planning assistance for all fuels through other programs. This new partnership is an significant first step for bringing the City’s police fleet of vehicles into this important green planning for Fredericksburg.
City Council adopted the 100% Renewable Energy Resolution in December 2019, and committed to the goal of powering municipal operations with 100% renewable energy by 2035 or earlier. Additional conversations are now being had with Fredericksburg City Schools on the potential for a joint pursuit of solar energy for public buildings.
The City and community of Fredericksburg have already demonstrated leadership on environmental and climate issues through the activities and programs of the Clean and Green Commission; adopting a C-PACE ordinance to help local businesses finance energy efficiency; participating in the George Washington Planning Region’s Climate, Environment and Readiness (CLEAR) Plan; partnering with Tree Fredericksburg to enhance and manage the City’s urban forest, which include a unique zero waste tree program; increasing attention and implementation to stormwater issues and mitigations through planning and development reviews, field surveys and general education; engaging in instituting energy efficiency measures and conducting additional assessments for over a decade in City structures; developing additional markets for true reuse of recyclables, such as glass and construction debris; and by protecting important riparian buffer zones along the Rappahannock River.
About Virginia Clean Cities: Virginia Clean Cities advances air quality improvement, economic opportunity, and energy security through deployment of alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, education programs, and other petroleum reduction activities. Founded in 1996, the organization is headquartered out of James Madison University. Virginia Clean Cities provides technical assistance to Virginia’s 872 alternative fuel stations and 100 alternative fuel fleets. In 2019, VCC reduced fuel use by 36.4 million gallons gasoline/diesel and 151,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. VCC assists and collaborates with stakeholders, who consist of fuel suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, private companies, local governments, state and federal agencies, and interested citizens.
For more information on the City’s clean and green initiatives, please visit www.Fredericksburgva.gov.
