US drives $300m into green city transport initiatives

US energy secretary Steven Chu was at it again yesterday, dishing out nearly $300m (£185m) in economic stimulus funding to 25 green transport initiatives across the country.

In the latest in a long line of low-carbon projects to secure stimulus funding, Chu announced plans to roll out a total of 9,000 alternative fuel and energy-efficient vehicles, as well as 542 new green refuelling locations.

The funding will be used to accelerate adoption of a wide range of green vehicle technologies, including hybrids, electric vehicles and plug-in electric hybrids, as well as natural gas and biofuel-powered vehicles and their appropriate fuelling stations.

The US Department of Energy estimated that the measures will help cut fuel demand by about 38 million gallons of petroleum per year.

Chu said the new funding would give local governments the tools they need to build a greener transportation system.

"Advancing the number of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles on the road will increase our energy security, decrease our dependence on oil, and reduce pollution across the country," he added.

The funding will be handed to local government and is expected to be matched twofold by money from project partners in the private sector. For example, in Maryland the Energy Administration received $5.9m to help fund the purchase of 150 hybrid-electric trucks for use by Nestle and UPS, who will also invest in the scheme.

Similarly, both UPS and the government will contribute funds to a publicly accessible liquid natural gas fuel station to be built off Interstate 15 in Las Vegas – a route heavily travelled by UPS vehicles.