Page 277 - BWA FEB 2013

February 2013 | Business World Magazine | 277
throughout the city.
As the project leader for transporta-
tion initiatives, Bill Barker provides exam-
ples of several developments that further
distinguish City sustainability efforts. One
case involves a partnership with Austin En-
ergy to create an infrastructure for electric
fueling stations along the Interstate 35 cor-
ridor between Austin and San Antonio, es-
sentially allowing anyone to have access to
pumps for travel purposes. He says the big-
gest challenge is creating a system that allows
for drivers to fuel their vehicle and pay for
it through a mechanism that sends the bill
to the appropriate energy provider, or have
it added to the respective person’s monthly
utility bill. Developing the business model
is more difficult than installing the electrical
pump. Barker points to other initiatives in-
volving fleet operations. The City has made
use of 600 cleaner fuel vehicles, including
compressed natural gas, propane, electric,
and hybrid technologies. A Green Fleet Ac-
quisition Policy requires City fleet purchases
to use a total cost of ownership approach in-
cluding environmental impacts in assessing
which vehicles to acquire. In addition the
City is also testing all-electric trucks manu-
factured by Boulder Electric Vehicle. San
Antonio will also soon be one of the few cit-
ies in America to have an electrical-powered
bus for their public transportation system.
The reliance on such vehicles helps
mitigate what Barker says are key issues of
the future: air quality, water quality and wa-
ter shortage as a result of climate change.
Boulder Electric Vehicle