Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act--Designation of Alternative Fuel Corridors |
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Gregory G. Nadeau
Federal Highway Administration
22 July 2016
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 141 (Friday, July 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47850-47852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17132]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2016-0017]
Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act--Designation of
Alternative Fuel Corridors
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice; solicitation of nominations.
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SUMMARY: Section 1413 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation
(FAST) Act requires the Secretary of Transportation to designate
national electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen, propane, and natural
gas fueling corridors. The FHWA is issuing this Federal Register Notice
to invite nominations from State and local officials to assist in
making such designations.
DATES: Submissions must be received on or before August 22, 2016. Late
submissions will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the docket number
FHWA-2016-0017 by any one of the following methods:
Fax: 1-202-493-2251;
Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30,
West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20590;
Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
Operations, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays; or electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting comments.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name, docket
name and docket number for this notice (FHWA-2016-0017). The DOT posts
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these comments, without edit, including any personal information the
commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
www.dot.gov/privacy.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any time or to
U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20950, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Turchetta, Office of Natural
Environment, (202) 493-0158, or via email at diane.turchetta@dot.gov.
For legal questions, please contact Robert Black, Office of the Chief
Counsel, (202) 366-1359, or via email at robert.black@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 1413 of the FAST Act (Section 1413), signed into law on
December 4, 2015, requires the Secretary to designate national EV
charging, hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling corridors within 1
year from the date of enactment (December 4, 2016). (23 U.S.C. 151). In
accordance with 23 U.S.C. 151(a), corridor designations must identify
near-and long-term need for, and location of, EV charging
infrastructure, hydrogen fueling infrastructure, propane fueling
infrastructure, and natural gas fueling infrastructure at strategic
locations along major national highways to improve mobility of
passenger and commercial vehicles that employ electric, hydrogen fuel
cell, propane, and natural gas fueling technologies across the United
States.
The FHWA must solicit nominations for corridors from State and
local officials and involve a range of stakeholders. (23 U.S.C. 151(b)
and (c)). Within 5 years of establishing the corridors, and every 5
years thereafter, DOT must update and re-designate the corridors.
During the designation and re-designation of the corridors, the FHWA is
to issue a report that identifies EV charging infrastructure, hydrogen
fueling infrastructure, propane fueling infrastructure, and natural gas
fueling infrastructure and standardization needs for electricity
providers, industrial gas providers, natural gas providers,
infrastructure providers, vehicle manufacturers, electricity purchases,
and natural gas purchases. The report must also establish aspirational
goals of achieving strategic deployment of EV charging infrastructure,
hydrogen fueling infrastructure, propane fueling infrastructure, and
natural gas fueling infrastructure in those corridors by the end of
fiscal year 2020. The FHWA held two national Webinars (May 12, 2016,
and May 16, 2016) at which stakeholders were invited to provide input
to FHWA on the process, timeline, and specific topics related to the
implementation of Section 1413. The presentation, transcript of chat
pods, and Webinar recordings can be found at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/webinars/.
Information To Be Included in Nominations
Any State or local agency is invited to nominate an alternative
fuel corridor for designation. For the purposes of this solicitation,
an eligible corridor is defined as a segment of the National Highway
System (NHS).\1\ However, to encourage the creation of a national
network of alternative fuel infrastructure, a corridor may also include
feeder routes/roads that connect to that NHS segment. Both corridors
within a single State and multistate corridors are eligible, with the
goal of connecting communities, cities, and regions to develop a
national network of alternative fuel facilities. A State or local
agency interested in submitting a nomination for a corridor designation
should develop a 20-page maximum nomination (nothing beyond the first
20 pages will be considered, including attachments) containing the
following elements/information:
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\1\ See following FHWA Web site for definitions and descriptions
of the NHS: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/.
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Corridor being proposed for designation (include the
official name of the NHS segment and beginning and end points of the
proposed corridor);
Name of lead State or local agency originating the
nomination;
Name of the entity (or entities) with jurisdiction over
the proposed corridor (i.e., State, local government, Indian tribe and/
or Federal land management agency);
Description of corridor, including the major metropolitan
areas and/or intermodal facilities located along the corridor, how the
corridor contributes to the national network, and why it is being
proposed for designation;
Corridor use (i.e., mainly freight, mainly passenger, or
both);
Approximate population along proposed corridor or in
general area/region, including median income and basic demographic
information;
Benefits to disadvantaged groups and/or communities, which
may include low-income groups, persons with visible or hidden
disabilities, elderly individuals, and minority persons and
populations;
Existing and projected usage of the corridor (i.e.,
vehicle miles traveled and/or freight congestion/tonnage moved);
Goals for increasing the use of alternative fuels;
Type of alternative fuel(s) currently used and/or
projected to be used along the corridor;
Estimated/projected cost of planned alternative fuel
facilities on proposed corridor, if known;
Type, number, and distance between existing and planned
alternative fuel facilities by fuel type located along proposed
corridor (e.g., for electric vehicle charging corridors or CNG
facilities, the type and level of charging technology in use or
planned);
Demonstrated interest and support for alternative fuel
facilities from stakeholders;
Standardization needs for fuel/charging providers,
manufacturers, and purchasers; and
Goals for strategic deployment of refueling/recharging
infrastructure along corridor and/or network for short-term (by the end
of fiscal year 2020), and long-term (by the end of fiscal year 2040).
Criteria for Designating Alternative Fuel Corridors 2
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\2\ Section 111 of Title 23 United States Code prohibits
Interstate rest areas built after January 1, 1960 from offering
commercial services such as fuel and food on the Interstate right-
of-way. In light of this provision, an alternative fuel facility can
be located on an Interstate right-of-way, but a fee may not be
charged for the facility.
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The FHWA plans to designate alternative fuel corridors based on the
criteria outlined in this solicitation. Corridor designations will be
selected based on the following criteria, which are listed in priority
order and indicated by numbered and bolded headings. Sub-bullets are
not in priority order:
1. Alternative Fuel Facilities
Number of existing alternative fuel facilities on
corridor;
Number of additional planned/projected alternative fuel
facilities on corridor;
Distance between existing and planned/projected
alternative fuel facilities on corridor;
Visibility, convenience, and accessibility to the users on
the corridor; and
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Explanation of successfully developing new alternative
fuel facilities along the corridor based on past activity/success.
2. Corridor Scale/Impact
Connections to other segments of the NHS in order to
create/develop a national network of alternative fuel infrastructure;
Whether the corridor connects to one or more major
metropolitan areas and/or multiple States (multiple States that submit
a joint application must identify a lead applicant as the primary point
of contact); and/or
Whether the corridor connects to one or more major
intermodal facilities (i.e. freight, transit, etc.).
3. Emission Reductions
Estimated reductions in greenhouse gas and/or criteria
pollutant emissions along the corridor, or in the area, due to existing
and projected alternative fuel facilities.
4. Development of Team and Degree of Collaboration and Support
Degree of collaboration, and formation of partnerships,
regarding alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure with both public
and private sector entities, which should include:
[ssquf] State and local officials (nomination must include support
from the transportation agency or agencies with jurisdiction over the
proposed corridor such as the State, local government, Indian tribe,
and/or Federal land management agency;
[ssquf] Other Federal agencies;
[ssquf] Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Cities Program, as well
as its associated network of coalitions and stakeholders); and
[ssquf] Representatives of energy utilities; electric, fuel cell
electric, propane, and natural gas vehicle industries; equipment
manufacturers; fuel suppliers; Original Equipment Manufacturers; public
or private fleets; auto dealerships; energy marketers; utilities/energy
companies; alternative fuel and clean air advocacy organizations; local
and regional planning entities; freight and shipping industry; clean
technology firms; hospitality industry; highway rest stop vendors;
industrial gas and hydrogen manufacturers; and
Demonstrated interest and support. For example, support
demonstrated through past work in the area on alternative fuels,
support from local elected officials, public support, stakeholder
support, development of incentives, etc.
Whether the proposed corridor is an existing electric
vehicle charging, hydrogen fueling, propane fueling or natural gas
corridor been designated by a State or group of States.
Optional Information and Considerations
Consideration of Clean Cities coalition \3\ locations/
existing alternative fuel markets;
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\3\ https://cleancities.energy.gov/coalitions/.
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Whether the corridor or segments of the corridor are
located in in ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter
nonattainment or maintenance areas;
Goals for greenhouse gas and/or criteria pollutant
emission reductions;
Available State and/or local alternative fuel vehicle
incentives/programs;
Current and future demand for alternative fuel facilities
based on current and predicted usage patterns (passenger, freight, and
other commercial vehicles). The analysis of future demand/alternative
fuel facilities should include description of how the corridor will be
extended and/or how distances between stations will be shortened (i.e.,
gaps closed);
Other alternative fuels included under the Energy Policy
Act of 2005 but not included in Section 1413, or vehicle technologies
such as Truck Stop Electrification used along corridor that contribute
to greenhouse gas or criteria air pollutant emission reductions;
Availability of alternative fuel vehicle support services
in the vicinity/region (e.g. maintenance and repair shops, first
responders, safety officials, towing and road-side rescue services,
etc.);
Potential of designation to serve as a national case to
document lessons learned/best practices.
Support for Designated Corridors
Although Section 1413 does not provide dedicated funding for
designated corridors, FHWA believes the designation of such corridors
can serve important public purposes. For instance, the United States
has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 26-28 percent by
2025 and 80 percent or more by 2050. The transportation sector is a
significant source of U.S. GHG emissions, (tailpipe GHG emissions from
transportation sources accounted for 27 percent of total U.S. GHG
emissions), and achieving reductions in these emissions will be needed
to support national commitments. Alternative fuel corridors with
support for lower-emitting vehicles can assist in this effort.
Furthermore, it is FHWA's goal and intent to create and expand a
national network of alternative fueling and charging infrastructure
along NHS corridors by developing a process that provides the
opportunity for a formal corridor designation once the criteria set
forth in the solicitation are met, and on a rolling basis, without a
cap on the number of corridors; ensures that corridor designations are
selected based on criteria that promote the ``build out'' of a national
network; develops national signage and branding to help catalyze
applicant and public interest; encourages multistate and regional
cooperation and collaboration; and, brings together a consortium of
stakeholders including State agencies, utilities, alternative fuel
providers, and car manufacturers to promote and advance alternative
fuel corridor designations in conjunction with the DOE.
In support of this goal, the FHWA intends to develop appropriate
signage that may be placed on designated corridors in accordance with
the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).\4\ The FHWA
anticipates that any such signage will distinguish between ``zero
emission'' corridors (supported by electric vehicle charging or
hydrogen fueling infrastructure) and ``alternative fuel'' corridors
(supported by propane or natural gas fueling infrastructure), to make
clear the nature of the alternative fuel supported in each corridor.
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\4\ For information on the MUTCD please see the following Web
site: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov.
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Timeline
The deadline for this initial solicitation is August 22, 2016.
After this deadline, FHWA will establish a process for future
nominations and designations on a rolling basis.
Authority: Section 1413 of the FAST Act (Pub. L. 114-94).
Issued on: July 8, 2016.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-17132 Filed 7-21-16; 8:45 am]
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