Bill Sheaffer, executive director of The Valley of the Sun Clean Cities Coalition, recently spoke with the Four Peaks Rotary Club members about the group.

The coalition is a progressive non-profit consisting of 75 business and government stakeholders striving to clean the environment and reduce America’s reliance on foreign petroleum through increased use of clean, domestically- produced fuels like natural gas, propane, biodiesel and hydrogen.

The coalition’s role is to assist coordination of regional clean fuel efforts and to support further development of target alternative fuel markets through education, training, and communications.

This coalition is part of broader national network of groups sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Clean Cities Program.

In October 1997, the Maricopa Association of Governments Clean Cities Coalition became the 58th coalition nationally to join the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program.

The VSCCC’s stakeholder fleets operate nearly 7000 AFVs and displace approximately 15 million gallons of gasoline annually with alternative fuels such as natural gas, biodiesel, propane, ethanol, and electricity. This represents 10 percent of the country’s annual consumption of alternative transportation fuel.

With little fanfare or recognition, key vehicle fleets in Maricopa County have become a driving force in cleaning the Valley’s air and securing America’s energy future.

These major fleets represent an impressive segment of area wide fuel consumers transitioning to cleaner burning fuels. It is projected that these fleets are now displacing over 15 million gallons of petroleum per year with clean burning alternative fuels.

One can learn more about the coalition and possible joining as a member at www.cleanairaz.org or call Sheaffer at (480) 314-0360 or e-mail bill@cleanairaz.com.

For more information about the Four Peaks Rotary Club, contact club President Bill Beamish at (480) 390-4130, azbeamish@msn.com or visit the web site at www.fourpeaksrotary.org.

The club meets the second and fourth Thursday morning of the month at 7 a.m. at the Golf Club at Eagle Mountain.