The challenges of environmental pollution and energy security are real and growing throughout the world. Governments continue to address these problems, but the real answer may be in the efforts of research and educational institutions and major automotive manufacturers to develop alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles. West Virginia University’s National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) is a key player in making alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles a viable solution to the energy security crisis.
As the country faces soaring gas prices wrought by last year’s hurricane season, the NAFTC (whose motto is “Because Clean Air and Energy Independence Matter”) has found itself in the spotlight addressing issues of dependence on foreign oil and the need for development of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and advanced technology vehicles. “In the wake of the hurricane season’s catastrophic events, Americans are beginning to understand the critical state of our nation’s energy supply,” said Al Ebron, NAFTC executive director. “Our goal at the NAFTC is to help overcome this challenge by providing state-of-the-art curricula and training for alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles and to further educate the public on what they can do to make a difference.”
Many believe this season’s hurricanes were more severe due to the effects of global warming. In addition, the country is faced with the inability to predict when, not if, our petroleum reserves will again be negatively impacted. These concerns make the goals of improving the nation’s energy independence and developing alternative fuels and new technologies a priority.
Our Dependence on Oil
In 1910, global demand for petroleum stood at about 500,000 barrels per day. Today that figure has ballooned to more than 80 million barrels per day. The U.S. alone consumes around 22 million barrels per day, which constitutes more than 25 percent of global consumption. While these numbers may be surprising to some, it comes as no shock to those who know that the United States is no longer self-sufficient when it comes to energy resources; in fact, currently more than 60 percent of our petroleum and four percent of our natural gas is imported.
Many of our nation’s oil refineries are located near the Gulf of Mexico in cities such as Galveston, Texas; Mobile, Alabama; and New Orleans, Louisiana. As a result, the heart of the country’s fossil energy and production infrastructure was vastly affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These two storms shut down 30 percent of our fossil energy production. In addition, onshore refineries and offloading facilities were both closed. In some regions, the flow of gasoline and distillates to distributors simply stopped, helping to create a price spike at the pumps and a pain in our wallets.
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In the midst of these events, the NAFTC’s mission to develop training and provide education on alternative energy sources has become more vital, especially since it is the only nationwide organization like this in the United States. Founded in 1992 and headquartered at WVU, the NAFTC consists of 25 national training centers spanning the country from New York to California. Approximately 60 affiliate and associate members also support its mission to increase the nation’s energy security, improve air quality, and provide education on alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. So exactly how are these lofty goals accomplished?
Training the Trainers
Under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and conducting business under the auspices of WVU’s National Research Center for Coal and Energy, the NAFTC uses a train-the-trainers approach. Educators from across the country come to initial NAFTC curriculum-based training classes and workshops at the NAFTC headquarters in Morgantown. The classes teach fundamentals and graphic presentations, and include discussions, pre- and post-tests, and lab/shop activities. A multibay automotive lab equipped with a dynamometer and exhaust emission analyzers is used for demonstrations, skill training, diagnostics, and emission testing and maintenance issues. Supplied with technical materials and training aids, the educators return to their own institutions and pass along the newly acquired information.
More than 6,000 technicians have been trained on AFVs and advanced technology vehicles in over 600 courses and workshops conducted by the NAFTC. The NAFTC currently has over 20 courses and workshops. Its newest curriculum, Clean Air and Energy Independence: An Overview of Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles, is designed for automotive technicians, students, and the general public. This two-and-a-half day training course introduces its participants to various types of alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles including: ethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, propane, hybrid electric vehicles, battery-powered electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles.
In addition to providing training, the NAFTC also offers support and expertise to others in the alternative fuels field through outreach and education. The star educational outreach program at the NAFTC is the National AFV Day Odyssey event, which is the largest alternative fuel and advanced technology education awareness event ever conducted. National AFV Day Odyssey, held in both 2002 and 2004 and scheduled again for October 12, 2006, has brought alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles awareness to millions. The 2004 event had nearly 25,000 attendees and reached more than 24 million individuals through media coverage.
Acclaimed actor and conservationist Dennis Weaver served as the Odyssey national spokesperson, speaking at the national media kickoff event in Palm Desert, California, and also recording Odyssey promotional segments that aired on radio stations throughout the country. Held at 54 sites in 34 states and provinces throughout North America, a variety of activities were offered promoting alternative fuels and technology such as educational fairs and conferences, networking breakfasts/luncheons, information on AFV training opportunities, and AFV ride-and-drive demonstrations for policymakers, legislators, students, fleet managers, and the general public.
While Odyssey is held only every two years, the NAFTC disseminates timely information year round via its Web site and eNewsletter. Every month readers not only learn about what is going on at the NAFTC, but they can get up-to-date information on worldwide alternative fuels news. Past story topics have ranged from the passage of national and state energy legislation, to new models of hybrid-electric vehicles, to coal-to-liquid technologies, to the world’s first family actually driving a fuel cell car on a daily basis.
The success of the NAFTC’s curriculum development, training, outreach and education activities, and Odyssey events proves that people are open and interested in the AFV and advanced technology vehicle message. With the current rise in gasoline prices, environmental concerns about protecting natural resources, keeping our air clean, and widespread concern over foreign oil imports, the NAFTC is leading a nationwide movement toward alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle development and use. The consortium takes pride in its pivotal role of creating this awareness and demonstrating that these vehicles are part of the solution to our country’s environmental and energy needs. The NAFTC stands ready to provide training and education and to broadcast the message that clean alternatives are a viable and sound choice for America’s future.
The NAFTC has training courses and workshops covering nearly every facet of emerging vehicle technologies and alternative fuels. To learn more, visit us on the Web at www.naftc.wvu.edu, call us at 304-293-7882, or e-mail Executive Director Al Ebron at al.ebron@mail.wvu.edu.