Sub-activity 2.1.3

Alternative Transportation Fuels

Description

Alternative fuels (e.g., natural gas, ethanol, biodiesel, etc) have a lower carbon content and thus emit fewer greenhouse gases than conventional transportation fuels such as gasoline and diesel. However, fuel producers and users, vehicle and equipment manufacturers, and policy makers face barriers discouraging the production and use of alternative transportation fuels.  These barriers include, but are not limited to: lack of market capacity to produce alternative fuels, lack of familiarity of end-users and other stakeholders regarding the benefits of alternative fuel use and the lack of codes and standards governing alternative vehicles and infrastructure.  In order to address these barriers, the Program is responsible for increasing production capacity, designing and developing education and outreach materials and facilitating the design, development and updating of codes and standards. This sub-activity is supported by the ecoENERGY for Biofuels and ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels programs.

Non-Financial Performance Information

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Status	Results
Fuel producers have increased capacity to produce renewable alternatives to gasoline and diesel.	Canada's alternative fuel production capacity	2 billion litres of domestic productive capacity of renewable alternatives to gasoline and 500 million litres of domestic productive capacity of renewable alternatives to diesel or commen-surate with funds available by  March 31, 2013	To be provided in the corresponding DPR	To be provided in the corresponding DPR
Stakeholders (policy makers, end-users, alternative and conventional fuel producers, and vehicle and equipment manufac- turers) have increased knowledge of alternative fuel pathways and increased awareness of the benefits of alternative fuel options.	% of survey respondents reporting increased knowledge of alternative fuel pathways and increased awareness of the benefits of alternative fuel options	Target to be established once baseline information collected from first survey (in first year of the program) - by  March 31, 2013	To be provided in the corresponding DPR	To be provided in the corresponding DPR
Enhanced knowledge within the standards community to harmonize/ align and update the codes and standards	Number of codes and standards committees actively working on developing and updating the codes and standards	2 by  March 31, 2013	To be provided in the corresponding DPR	To be provided in the corresponding DPR

Financial Performance Information ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
362,534	362,534	To be provided in the corresponding DPR

FSDS Theme I – Addressing Climate Change and Air Quality

FSDS Goal 1 – Climate Change

Reduce greenhouse gas emission levels to mitigate the severity and unavoidable impacts of climate change.

FSDS Target 1.1 – Climate Change Mitigation

Relative to 2005 emission levels, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) 17% by 2020

FSDS Implementation Strategy – Clean Energy

1.1.26  Supply financial aid and develop capacity to reduce GHGs through the adoption of emission reducing technologies and practices. (NRCan)

How Activity Supports FSDS Target

The increased production and use of alternative transportation fuels help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing more carbon intensive fuels with less carbon intensive ones. Thus, this Sub Activity contributes indirectly to FSDS Target 1.1 – Climate Change Mitigation.

FSDS Goal 2 – Air Pollution

Minimize the threats to air quality so that the air Canadians breathe is clean and supports healthy ecosystems.

FSDS Target 2.1 Air Pollutants

Reduce air pollutants in order to maintain or improve air quality across the country and achieve the emission targets which are currently under development in consultation with the provinces and stakeholders.

FSDS Implementation Strategy – Clean Energy

2.1.16  ecoACTION programs reduce GHG emissions and can directly or indirectly contribute to air pollutant emission reduction. (NRCan, TC, INAC)

How Activity Supports FSDS Target

Alternative transportation fuels have the potential to reduce air pollutants to varying degrees, based on fuel types and the end-use application. Thus, efforts under this Sub Activity contribute indirectly to FSDS Target 2.1 – Air Pollutants.

Program Name: ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels

CAA Theme: Clean Energy

Description of ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels:

NRCan’s ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels Program will fund education and outreach efforts as well as codes and standards work for natural gas vehicles. Building on recommendations included in The Natural Gas Use in the Canadian Transportation Sector Deployment Roadmap, ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels will facilitate the creation of an alternative transportation fuels website as well as two local support networks that will deliver education and outreach materials to fleets and other key stakeholders. This program will also facilitate updates to codes and standards that are needed for compressed natural gas vehicles. In the case of liquefied natural gas vehicles, entirely new standards will be established. 

Expected program results for 2012-13:

The ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels program will support two committees that will work on developing and updating codes and standards for natural gas vehicles. As well, the program will initiate international and domestic formal engagements with alternative fuels stakeholders and will put in place two agreements with natural gas local support networks to bring the right decision-making tools to potential markets. Through these efforts, knowledge and collaboration in the area of alternative transportation fuels will be increased.