The city of Norwich, Connecticut participates in the Clean Cities Program. Its mission is to advance the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local decisions to adopt practices that contribute to the reduction of petroleum consumption.

What is Clean Cities?

Clean Cities is a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, which is designed to encourage the use of Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV's) and their supporting infrastructure throughout the nation. By encouraging AFV use, the Clean Cities Program will help achieve energy security and environmental quality goals at both the national and local levels. Unlike traditional command-and-control programs, the Clean Cities program takes a unique, voluntary approach to AFV development, working with coalitions of local stakeholders to help develop the AFV industry and integrate this development into larger planning processes.

• Promote the use of AFVs
• Increase fuel blends use: diesel/biodiesel, ethanol/gasoline, CNG/hydrogen
  
• Accelerate sales of hybrid vehicles
• Promote informed consumer choice on fuel economy
• Encourage the use of idle reduction technologies for heavy duty trucks and other vehicles
• Facilitate public/private projects
• Income tax deductions
• Investment tax credits for AFVs and infrastructure
• Fuel and vehicle sales tax credits and exemptions

Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) In order to increase energy security, we must reduce our dependence upon foreign sources of petroleum. The stability of our transportation future, and perhaps even the nation's economy, depends upon our ability to diversify our fuel sources and types.

Norwich can help reduce vehicle emissions, provide domestic economic benefits and increase energy security by using Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs), which run on alternative sources including:

• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
• Ethanol
• Propane
• Electricity
• Biodiesel
• Methanol
• Hydrogen

We encourage the displacement of petroleum using the latest proven technologies. There are a large selection of vehicles, from sedans, vans, pickup trucks, and SUVs to heavy duty dump trucks, street sweepers and buses that qualify as Alternate Fuel Vehicles.

Vehicle Technologies Program The Vehicle Technologies Program is continually developing energy efficient and environmentally friendly highway transportation technologies that will enable America to use less petroleum. The long-term aim is to develop "leap frog" technologies that will provide Americans with greater freedom of mobility and energy security, while lowering costs and reducing impacts on the environment.

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