Space Coast Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Vehicle Workshops

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), acting as coordinator for the Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition, conducts alternative fuel vehicle technology training workshops. Workshops are typically held at the Center, but can be hosted by other organizations. The Coalition is an associate member of the National Alternative Fuels Training Program with West Virginia University and locally with Travis Technical College.

There are four types of workshops:

Workshop #1- "A Clean Cities Seminar for Alternative Fuel Vehicles" targets Clean Cities coalition stakeholders, fleet managers and the general public. The purpose of the one-day seminar is to introduce alternative fuel technologies, vehicles, and infrastructure while including acquisitions/conversions issues to stimulate the use and purchase of AFVs.

Workshop #2 "Clean Cities AFV Technology Training" targets community college automotive technician instructors, students and fleet maintenance personnel. The purpose of the two-day, hands-on workshop is to familiarize "students" with alternative fuel vehicles, generate interest and support for a formalized alternative fuel training program and provide the Space Coast region with certified, qualified AFV mechanics and technicians.

Workshop #3 "Clean Cities AFV Advancing the Choice Seminar" targets Clean Cities coalition stakeholders, fleet managers, fuel providers, OEMs and their associate dealerships, and other relevant presenters. The purpose of the one-day seminar is to introduce alternative fuel technologies, vehicles, infrastructure, safety, regulations, incentives, vehicle service issues and operation fundamentals.

Workshop #4 Joint Nationally conducted workshops are coordinated or
supported by a national organization and conducted following a standard format. The target audience can be anyone from stakeholders to fleet managers to general public. The event can be of any purpose and be of any length. An example is the "National AFV Day Odyssey" workshop for April 11, 2002.

Past Workshops

On June 9, 1999, a one-day overview AFV workshop was conducted at FSEC. Among the more than 40 administrators, policy makers, transportation coordinators and fleet managers attending were representatives of NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida Department of Transportation, utilities, municipal governments, police departments,  automobile dealerships and schools. Most are stakeholder members of the Florida Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition, coordinated by FSEC, and covering a nine-county region from Volusia to St. Lucie.  Also attending the seminar were Clean Cities stakeholders from the five coalition regions around Florida.

Lead instructor (pictured at left) was Bill McGlinchey a professor at West Virginia University, along with Charlie Sanders and John Small of Traviss Technical Center in Lakeland, Florida. Also providing overviews of the various ALT fuel technologies were Jim Law of Motorfuelers, H. T. Everett of NASA, John Thomas of Florida Tech and Clovis Linkous and Bill Young of FSEC.

Various ALT fuel-powered cars and trucks from Motorfuelers, Warren Wooten Ford, Florida Power and Light, NASA, and Osceola County were on display permitting those attending the workshop to closely examine the vehicles and their components.

On August 11-12, 1999, a two-day workshop was conducted at FSEC and Brevard Community College. The first day consisted of an alternative fuel overview similar to the above workshop. The second day consisted of hands-on training with compressed natural gas vehicles for automotive technicians, instructors, mechanics and fleet maintenance personnel.

The Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition held an alternative fuel vehicle training workshop hosted by and held at the Orlando Utilities Commission, in Orlando, Florida at the Pershing Facilities on August 25, 2000.

Click here to get the Agenda.