May 2, 2018

The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) today announced that it will for the first time use renewable diesel, a low-emissions, 99% petroleum-free fuel, to power over 1,000 City government vehicles. Renewable diesel is made almost exclusively of plants and animal fats, with just 1% of its contents derived from petroleum. Use of the new fuel will power City vehicles to drive 11.3 million miles with reduced emissions. Renewable diesel will be used in large vehicles like sanitation trucks. “Mayor de Blasio set an historic goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050, and using plants instead of petroleum to fuel our vehicles is an example of how we’re delivering on this commitment,” said Lisette Camilo, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “New York City government has the cleanest and greenest vehicle fleet in the country and we are proud to lead the way.” Renewable diesel will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 60% compared to traditional petroleum-based diesel. New York City will be one of the first fleets to use renewable diesel in the northeast. Currently, San Francisco uses renewable diesel for its entire municipal fleet. Most renewable diesel use is currently concentrated in California. The use of renewable diesel builds upon the City’s success using alternative fuels, including biodiesel. Biodiesel is a blend of 5% to 20% organic fuel combined with regular petroleum diesel. Almost every City truck, including those used by Fire and Sanitation, runs on biodiesel. The City also uses solar and wind energy to power government buildings and vehicles. This initiative is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's historic commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in New York City by at least 80% by 2050 (80 x 50). “Fossil fuels are a destructive and increasingly outdated energy source,” said Mark Chambers, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “Incorporating biofuels into our City’s fleet sets the example for the market, and furthers our transition to clean energy.” "In order to reach our goal of reducing emissions 80% by 2050, we in government will need to do some heavy lifting," said Council Member Costa Constantinides. "Using biodiesel and renewable fuels will help us go a long way in achieving that goal. I’m proud to have been working to bring these types of fuels to our City’s ferries and buildings. By adding biodiesel to our City’s vehicle fleet,

we will be one giant step closer to accomplishing our 80 by 50 goals and I applaud the Mayor for his efforts." “NYC blends biodiesel in all fleet fuel and heating oil for municipal operations and has over 12 years of practical experience with biofuels,” said Keith Kerman, DCAS Deputy Commissioner and NYC Chief Fleet Officer. “Renewable diesel is an exciting next step which holds the prospect of completely replacing regular diesel with no impact to operations.” “It’s our mission to keep New York City healthy, safe and clean, and having a modern, green fleet that uses renewable energy complements that," said Kathryn Garcia, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Sanitation. “Today, our entire diesel fleet runs on 20% biodiesel fuel and we’ve reduced unleaded fuel by nearly half since 2005. We’re proud to stand with other City agencies in expanding the use of alternative fuel sources like renewable diesel and making our City fleet the greenest and cleanest in the country.” "New York and DCAS have been at the forefront of the clean fuels movement for more than a decade," said Donnell Rehagen, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. "We have been thrilled to see all they have done with biodiesel and are equally excited to see what they can accomplish with renewable diesel." "Renewable diesel bears immense promise to greatly cut climate and air emissions - today - from trucks and buses that are already on the road," said Benjamin Mandel, Northeast Regional Director at CALSTART, a national clean transportation not-for-profit organization. "Today’s announcement demonstrates the City’s resolve to meet its climate and air quality commitments, and DCAS being an early adopter catalyst will help to build volumes for this fuel and other clean transportation technologies across the Northeast market." “Sprague is pleased to continue our longstanding partnership with New York City agencies in introducing cleaner fuels to the city," said David Glendon, President and CEO of Sprague Energy. "We applaud the commitment of Mayor de Blasio, DCAS and City agency fleets to this initiative and look forward to a successful implementation using our fueling infrastructure." “New York City continues to be a leader in the adoption of higher blends of biodiesel and implementing policies that support the use of cleaner fuels,” said Randy Howard, President and CEO of Renewable Energy Group. “We are proud to partner with the City to supply domestically produced renewable diesel and look forward to continue to grow the consumption of advanced biofuels in the city to improve air quality for New Yorkers.” DCAS made the announcement today at a Biofuels Forum hosted by DCAS and the NYC Parks Department in Prospect Park. The forum is produced in partnership with the National Biodiesel Board and CALSTART and discusses the latest trends and technologies in biofuels. The renewable diesel used by the City will be produced domestically by Renewable Energy Group and will be distributed by Sprague Energy.

About DCAS

The Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) ensures that all City agencies have the critical resources and support needed to provide the best possible services to the public. It does this in part by working with City agencies on recruiting, hiring, and training; providing facilities