By Dan Israeli
A majority of the funding for the conversion was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities Program, whose mission is to make the country a more advanced energy consumer by reducing its use of petroleum. The program branches off into several coalitions, including the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition, which awarded the funding to Long Beach Sanitation.
Dozens of municipalities, corporations and private companies applied for funding, which was shared by Long Beach and the Town of Hempstead's Sanitation District Six, which also plans to have two trucks converted.
Mike Cruz, Long Beach's resource conservation specialist, applied for the grant money. It will now be now up to Cruz and City Manager Ed Eaton to decided whether the city will go forward with the project, which requires additional funding. The Clean Cities grant of $176,000 would need to be augmented by $44,000 for the trucks to be converted. Cruz said that the city is seeking additional funding, possibly from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
The conversion would be done by the partnership of the Odyne Corporation, a developer of advanced plug-in hybrid electric vehicle powertrain technology, and Nassau Suffolk Truck, a regional truck fleet servicing company. Odyne would provide the technology, while Nassau Suffolk Truck would install the hybrid systems, which reduce diesel dependency, though not eliminating the use of diesel fuel.
Roger Slotkin, Odyne's chairman and CEO, is a lifelong Long Beach resident. Slotkin finds the possibility of using his company's technology to improve the air quality and well being of his own community very exciting. "It is a very ecologically sensitive area," Slotkin said of Long Beach. "There is a lack of vegetation, and problems with pollution in the air and groundwater. This is a project that will have a definite impact on the area in question."
Odyne's proprietary hybrid electric propulsion technology involves a system of energy conservation and renewal. A motor receives electric power from a battery pack and/or a generator, which has the ability to absorb energy usually wasted when a vehicle brakes.
In effect, when a vehicle is slowing down or repeatedly stopping and going - common for a garbage truck - its engine transfers power back to the battery, a process called regenerative braking that is common to most hybrid cars.
Kirk Lombardi, president of Nassau Suffolk Truck, joined forces with Odyne last November, when the two companies entered into a sales and marketing agreement. According to Lombardi, the hybrid trucks have been very beneficial to other clients.
"You save on gas mileage, have longer brake cycles, reduce emissions," he said. "I think it would be a great thing for the city of Long Beach - and the entire country - to start helping decrease our dependency on foreign oil. This is the beginning of a very big change in the trucking industry."
For Eaton, the decision depends on a several factors, including not only the cost of the conversion, but the potential burden on taxpayers. "It is great to know that we are eligible for the funding, but it is important to strike a fine balance," he said. "Everyone wants to be greener and environmentally cleaner, but at what cost?"
The city has been considering several other energy-related measures in recent months, including the possibility of installing solar paneling in City Hall and other municipal buildings. Earlier this year, the city tested a compressed natural gas garbage truck and hybrid sedan, both provided by KeySpan. In addition, the city was awarded $1.2 million in state and federal funding for mass-transportation improvements.
Cruz said that while the initial cost of garbage truck conversion is an issue, he is aware of the possibility of saving money in the long run. "It would be a good move in the right direction," he said. "If we find out that it is cost-effective and that the technology works how it's supposed to, we can eventually retrofit the whole fleet."
As for Slotkin, the conversion is just the tip of the iceberg, with the larger goal being to combine electric power with compressed natural gas, completely phasing out diesel. "I believe in the altruism of doing these things," he said. "Politicians realize the need to go green, as oil prices continue to go up. This is a valid return on investment."
Comments about this story? DIsraeli@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 214.
