The Board of Directors of the Yellowstone-Teton Clean Energy Coalition will meet on Wednesday, January 28th, beginning at 9:30 A.M. in the Council Chambers located in the City Annex, next to City Hall in Idaho Falls.  You may access from 680 Park Ave., across from the Bonneville Hotel.
Unrestricted parking is available a few blocks north of the City Annex. 
 
In the same location, beginning at 1:30 P.M. board members and stakeholders (all interested in displacing the use of petroleum) will convene to learn what the Idaho National Lab has been doing, and wants to do, to address the challenge of improving our transportation choices.  We also anticipate that a representative of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest will be with us. We invite other representatives of local governments and agencies to collaborate in tackling this challenge together during this opportune time.
 
Meeting Agendas:
 
    Board Meeting (open to all who are interested)

I.   Approve minutes of last meeting
II.  Treasurer's Report
III. Coordinator's Report/ Clean Cities update
IV. Old Business
    A.Discussion of coalition staffing and coordinator requests
    B.Approve current fiscal year budget
 V. New Business
    A. Refresh strategic plan based on DOE direction and
        coalition interests in building a sustainable fuel delivery
        system in our region.
           
     Stakeholders Meeting (1:30-4:30)

Welcome by Ken Taylor, Idaho Falls City Council

I. Presentation by two representatives of INL discussing what is being done on the practical side at the lab site and also in research and development regarding biofuels.

II Description and discussion of a Northwest region grant proposal to be developed collaboratively that relates to installation of alternative fuels infrastructure, led by our Coalition.  Partners willing to commit to participation are being sought--either with commitments to provide/develop a site or perhaps with some matching financial participation to enable sites in Idaho Falls, Pocatello, etc.  This will be an ideal opportunity to collaborate and develop a plan for eastern Idaho.

III. Stakeholder's roundtable--time to share information and progress or obstacles to achieving desired alternative fuel and/or energy efficiency goals.  Time for stakeholder's to offer input to strategic goals discussed in the morning.
 
There is a Hampton Inn and Holiday Express on Channing Way in Idaho Falls if you plan to stay overnight.  We will offer suggestions of nearby restaurants for lunch for those attending both meetings.

 

 
For the next two months, coalition contractors will be contacting stakeholders to gather data about alternative vehicles in fleets, quantities of alternative fuels used, idle reduction programs, energy efficiency programs and special projects that have been initiated in 2008. The information is used to establish U.S. policy and track progress toward federal goals which have been set.  This data collection is required annually by the DOE Clean Cities program in order to maintain our status as a recognized coalition and to qualify for $12,500.00 in annual operational support from DOE which is critical to our functioning.
 
Jake Lodato jklodato@charter.net will be the primary contact for stakeholders in Idaho. A.D. Bunn abunn@yellowstonebusiness.org will be surveying contacts in Montana. Sandy Shuptrine sandyshuptrine@wyom.net will be gathering information from Wyoming and the Idaho National Lab.  Please feel free to facilitate the collection of this important data by making contact or offering information to these surveyors.  Your help will be welcome as this is always a bit of a detective project for those involved.  Anything that serves to make it more efficient assists the Coalition's work.
 

Grand Targhee fleet operations and Jim Earl of the Park County, MT Biodiesel Cooperative are each recipients of $1500.00 scholarships to attend the National Biodiesel Conference, February 1-4 in San Fancisco.  We are very pleased to have these fine representatives from our region attending this informative event. 
 
Remember to keep an eye on our website  www.yellowstonetetoncleanenergy.org  for other training and educational opportunities.  In our rapidly evolving field, it is critical to have access to current information in order to make sound decisions for your fleets and organizations.