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FedEx Express and Environmental Defense Win CALSTART Blue Sky Award 2005

Posted on: Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 12:00 CST

CALSTART - North America's leading advanced transportation technologies consortium - today revealed the 2005 winners for leadership and action in advanced transportation, as it announced the winners of its prestigious Blue Sky Awards. The awards recognize the groundbreaking work of large and small companies for their outstanding marketplace contributions to clean air, energy efficiency and to the advanced transportation industry overall.

"The awards this year reflect the expanding growth and momentum in an industry whose solutions are timelier than ever," said CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel. "There is increasing urgency for greater transportation energy efficiency and alternatives to our dependence on petroleum. Our Blue Sky winners' actions stand out as signals of the meaningful solutions we can enact to address our challenges."

CALSTART will be presenting the Blue Sky Awards at a luncheon to be held December 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The luncheon is part of the "2020: California's Transportation Energy Future" conference, which will explore ways to mitigate the state's dependence on petroleum.

This year's winners are:

FedEx Express and Environmental Defense was awarded the Blue Sky Award 2005 for their nearly single-handed placement of commercial hybrid trucks on the map for corporate America. The FedEx and Environmental Defense joint effort led the commercial truck market's interest and efforts into the hybrid market. The Blue Sky Award selection committee concluded that "other fleet operators were influenced by one of the nation's most respected and sophisticated truck operators showing strong interest in hybrids," which in turn motivated those fleets to embrace the technologies themselves. FedEx has helped shape change in commercial trucks.

The Blue Sky Award's criteria focus on marketplace actions. However, those activities may take many forms. Prospective award recipients can be manufacturers, developers or users of advanced transportation technologies or services. They can be selected for bringing new vehicles or vehicle technologies to market; for significant implementation of clean, sustainable transportation options; for significant technology breakthroughs that affect the marketplace, or for a combination of these things.

Mayor Greg Nickels, Seattle, WA was awarded the Blue Sky Innovation Award for committing the City of Seattle to the goals and agenda of the "Kyoto Protocols" regarding global warming, including reductions in emissions and energy use from transportation. As a result of this local leadership, the U.S. Conference of Mayors in June passed the "Mayors Climate Protection Agreement" to reduce GHG emissions in their cities. As of October, 183 mayors, representing 40 million Americans have accepted the challenge. The list is growing still proving that local actions and leadership can have broad impact

In 2005, three Blue Sky Merit Awards were also awarded for meaningful actions supporting and expanding advanced transportation:

-- New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was awarded a Blue Sky Merit Award for its leadership in the transit industry in the early use, commitment to and support of fuel-saving hybrid technology. New York MTA led the nation in purchasing and integrating more than 300 diesel-electric hybrid buses into customer service. It has now committed to purchase an additional 500 more - nearly tripling its fleet size in advanced driveline buses. Of the roughly 1500 transit hybrids on order or delivered in the U.S., more than half (800+) are NY's showing how it is helping transform its industry.

-- EJ Harrison & Sons was given a Blue Sky Merit Award to recognize its aggressive approach toward minimizing vehicle emissions from its fleet by adopting a range of technologies, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), dual-fuel, clean diesel and engine retrofits. These actions have resulted in measurable air quality benefits in its 6-city service territory the Ventura, CA-based company serves with waste disposal services.

-- Hyperion Solutions received a Blue Sky Merit Award for its first-of-a-kind initiative to help its employees purchase fuel efficient cars for their personal use. Called "Drive Clean to Drive Change", the company reimburses its employees $5000 for purchasing vehicles that achieve at least 45 mpg. More than 200 employees are expected to participate in the program, and other large companies have contacted Hyperion to learn how to implement a similar program themselves.

Boesel noted, "We had nearly three dozen very deserving entries from North America and Europe in 2005, a 10 percent increase over last year. These winners continue to raise the bar for those who follow."

For additional information about the Blue Sky Award and to learn more about the "2020" conference, please visit www.calstart.org

CALSTART is the California operating division of WestStart-CALSTART, North America's leading advanced transportation technologies consortium. It is a participant-supported organization of more than 115 companies and agencies, dedicated to expanding a high-tech transportation industry that cleans the air, creates jobs and improves energy efficiency. WestStart-CALSTART is playing a leading national role in deploying more efficient vehicles, supporting fuel diversity and expanding new systems for transit and personal mobility. Visit www.weststart.org for more information.

Source: Business Wire

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