AltWheels Festival Announces 2007 “Green Pioneer” Award Winners

Creating a Sustainable Transportation & Energy Vision for the 21st Century

www.AltWheels.org
For Immediate Release

Contacts:
Event Founder:  Alison Sander 617-868-1582 info@altwheels.org
Event Media: Jeremy Marin 617-947-2409 jeremy@marinstrategies.com

AltWheels Festival Announces 2007 “Green Pioneer” Award Winners Regional Leaders in Transportation and Energy Efficiency Recognized

Boston, MA – September 25, 2007 – The AltWheels Alternative Transportation & Energy Festival announces the winners of the 2007 AltWheels “Green Pioneer” Awards. The award recipients will be honored on Friday, September 28 from 3:00pm to 4:00 pm during a public ceremony at Boston's City Hall Plaza. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Massport CEO Thomas Kinton, MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas, and Brockton Mayor James Harrington, among other leaders, will participate in the awards ceremony.

The AltWheels Green Pioneer awards recognize regional leaders who are creating a greener future. Each awardee is a leader in efforts to reduce our reliance on oil and offer leadership for others to follow.

The award ceremony is only one part of the east coast’s largest alternative transportation and energy festival. Last year more than 20,000 people attended.

Celebrating its fifth year, AltWheels continues to bring the latest in technology to the public where they can kick the tires of the latest in auto technology with more than 70 fuel-efficient vehicles, take a ride on electric bicycles, see bio-diesel vehicles, watch bio-diesel being made, view solar panels in action, learn more about how they can save energy and more.

The information available spans the breadth of the public’s knowledge on energy issues. Whether your next step in conservation is putting in a compact fluorescent light bulb or super-insulating your home, you can learn how it can be done from exhibitors at AltWheels.

This year’s Energy “Freedom Trail”® offers fun, information and activities, from easy and practical ways to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by replacing light bulbs (we will give out over 300 free compact fluorescent bulbs), to installing efficient water heaters or producing your own electricity by putting solar panels on the house.

Kids and families will enjoy GreenWorld – an exhibit of native plants and produce; Sidewalk Sam’s “paint a tree” project; and John Tagiuri’s huge globe sculpture as well as many interactive experiences for kids and adults from the Museum of Science, the New England Aquarium, and the Children’s Museum.

The Green Pioneers award categories recognize the activities of local agencies, companies and organizations in areas such as super-efficient buildings, large bio-diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG). Awards will be given out on Friday, September 28 at 3:00 p.m. on City Hall Plaza. Separate “Regional Heroes” awards, given to over 20 individuals will be presented on Saturday, September 29 at 2:00 p.m.

AltWheels 2007 “Green Pioneer” Award Winners

>      Four largest alternative-fuel users in Massachusetts, based on the number of gasoline-equivalent gallons (GGEs) consumed in calendar year 2006. Presented by Mike Manning, Account Executive with KeySpan, now part of National Grid.

1.      MBTA: 4,296,985 GGEs for CNG buses.
Accepted by Dan Grabauskas, General Manager of the MBTA

2.      Massport: 376,000 GGEs for CNG buses.
Accepted by Thomas Kinton, Massport CEO & Executive Director

3.      MassHighway: 330,000 GGEs for more than 200 CNG light-duty vehicles.
Accepted by Robert Cohen, Deputy Commissioner for Administration.

4.      Pre-Flight Parking: 330,000 GGEs.
Accepted by Kevin Welsh, General Manager.

>      Four largest bio-diesel users in Massachusetts, based on the number of gallons, in B100 (pure bio-diesel equivalent) of bio-diesel purchased in the first half of 2007. Presented by Ed Burke, Chairman of the Board, Dennis K. Burke Inc.

1.      National Grid: 17,154 gallons of B100 equivalent (8,770 gallons of B20).
Accepted by Joseph Callanan, Manager of Environmental Affairs.

2.      Taunton State Hospital: 14,344 gallons of B100 equivalent (143,440 gallons of B10).
Accepted by Jim Condon, Engineer.

3.      City of Boston: 12,231 gallons of B100 equivalent (244,620 gallons of B5).
Accepted by Mayor Thomas Menino.

4.      Harvard University: 6,844 gallons of B100 equivalent (34,220 gallons of B20).
Accepted by David Harris, General Manager of Operations and Finance.

>      Highest Rated Municipal LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Project in New England

o        Cambridge City Hall Annex: Gold certified LEED building
Accepted by Susanne Rasmussen, Director, Cambridge Environmental &
Transportation Planning.

>      Highest Rated Non-Profit LEED Project in New England

o        Artists for Humanity EpiCenter: Boston. Platinum certified LEED building.
Accepted by Susan Rodgerson, Executive/Artistic Director.

>      Highest Rated Private LEED Project in New England

o        Genzyme, Cambridge: Platinum certified LEED building.
Accepted by Rick Mattila, Director of Environmental Affairs

>      National LEED Milestone

o        Provincetown Art Assoc. & Museum: First LEED certified Art Museum in the USA.
Accepted by Christine McCarthy, Executive Director.

>      National LEED Milestone

o        Logan Airport Terminal A: First LEED certified airport terminal in the USA. Accepted by Thomas Kinton, Massport CEO & Executive Director

>      Largest Municipal Producer of Wind Energy in MA & New England

o        Town of Hull, MA: Hull’s two turbines, totaling 2.4MW, are producing more than 1.6 million kWh of electricity for the town each year.
Accepted by Stephanie Landry, Hull Municipal Light Co. board member.

>      Largest Private Producer of Wind Energy in MA

o        Jiminy Peak, Hancock, MA: Their single 1.5 MW turbine produces more than 4.6 million kWh of electricity each year.
Accepted by Betsy Strickler, Director of Marketing.

>      Largest Private Producer of Wind Energy in New England

o        Mars Hill Wind Farm/UPC Wind Management, Mars Hill, ME: The Mars Hill facility in Maine produces over 145 million kWh annually of renewable energy.
Accepted by Steve Vavrik, Vice President of Origination.

>      Largest Municipal Producer of Solar Energy in MA and New England

o        Brockton Brightfields project, Brockton, MA: The largest municipal solar producer in all of New England they have a 425 kW solar array.
Accepted by Mayor James Harrington.

>      Largest Private Producer of Solar Energy in MA

o        Mass Innovation, Fitchburg, MA: Their facility includes a 140 kW solar array.
Accepted by Robert D. Ansin, CEO of MassInnovation.

>      Largest Private Producer of Solar Energy in New England

o        Staples in Killingly, CT.:The largest private, and the largest overall, producer of solar power in New England, the Staples facility includes a 433 kW solar array.
Accepted by Bob Valair, Director of Energy & Environmental Management.

>      Largest Municipal Consumer of Renewable Energy in New England

o        City of Boston: With 11.7% of energy coming from renewable sources, Boston is the largest municipal consumer of renewable energy in New England.
Accepted by Mayor Thomas Menino

Schedule for the Green Pioneer Award Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 28th

   3:00 p.m.      Opening welcome remarks

   3:10 p.m.      Presentation of Awards

The two-day celebration offers a one-stop opportunity to see dozens of different, clean, effective transportation options that you can buy or use now -- plus new technologies coming in the near future from Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and other leading automakers. Boston's Museum of Science, New England Aquarium and Children's Museum will all host informative, fun exhibits on transportation and energy plus lots of interactive-learning activities on how to create a more sustainable world.

For more information or photos please visit www.AltWheels.org

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