Alternative fuel sources to transform smart cities, fleets and mass transit

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Sept. 13, 2016 -- Black & Veatch, a market leader in the design, construction and integration of green transportation infrastructure, is looking beyond personal vehicles as it develops the role of sustainable transportation in smart cities. Next week, the company will sponsor VERGE and their Sustainable Transportation Summit. The summit brings together policy makers and private sector leaders for a critical focus on the sustainable movement of people and goods.

The conference, set for Sept. 19-22 in Santa Clara, California, is focused on accelerating the development of sustainability solutions and will feature on Sept. 22 the Sustainable Transportation Summit. Black & Veatch will join policy makers, vehicle manufacturers, and energy and transportation industry leaders at the summit to explore the business models and technologies needed to support transportation sustainability.

“Advances in transportation technologies, including electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell stations and the electrification of mass transit and fleet vehicles will power a more sustainable transportation future,” said Fred Ellermeier, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Black & Veatch’s Smart Integrated Infrastructure business who will moderate the Summit panel. “B&V is uniquely qualified to help cities and utilities plan and integrate all types of smart transportation in a smart city framework.”

Black & Veatch’s 2016 Strategic Directions: Electric Industry Report, found that technology, market forces and changing cultural standards will drive electric vehicle adoption and integration forward, providing both sustainability benefits to consumers but also revenue opportunities for utilities.

Through its Smart Integrated Infrastructure business, Black & Veatch has played a leading role in the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, including:

• Approaching 200 megawatts of engineered and/or deployed electric vehicle charging capacity, including support of the deployment of the largest contiguous DC fast charger network in the world;
• The company’s partnership with FirstElement Fuel Inc. to engineer and construct 19 hydrogen fueling stations across California;
• Black & Veatch’s role in helping electric vehicle charging provider Volta expand its network of free sponsored EV charging stations.
• California Energy Commission grant wins to deploy EV charging corridors for the West Coast Electric Highway; three with ChargePoint and one with Recargo.

In addition to supporting alternative fuels for personal vehicles, the company has broadened its scope to help municipal- and enterprise-level organizations transform their transportation assets in support of larger sustainability and smart city goals. As technologies advance, data from automotive sensors, electric car charging stations, hydrogen fueling stations and traffic management operations can be integrated and place city leaders in the driver’s seat of connected, smart transit systems.

Editor’s notes:

• An infographic about the role of smart transportation in smart cities can be found here.
• Black & Veatch is a member of CALSTART, a respected national non-profit alliance devoted to clean transportation technology.
• Black & Veatch also is a member of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, a trade association dedicated to the commercialization of fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies. 
• Black & Veatch has released a new white paper examining the current hydrogen fueling infrastructure in the U.S., and the challenges that complicate development. It can be downloaded for free here.
• Black & Veatch’s 40-plus charging stations at its Kansas City-area headquarters make it one of the region’s top providers of workplace charging. The company joined the Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge in 2015.
• Visit with Black & Veatch at VERGE during their Solutions Series on Wed., Sept. 21, at 1:45 p.m. to talk more about Information and Transportation in the Smart City. This session is open to all Verge attendees.
• For more information about electric vehicle charging and other clean transportation technology, go to http://bv.com/smart-transportation

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is an employee-owned, global leader in building critical human infrastructure in Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Government Services. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries through consulting, engineering, construction, operations and program management. Our revenues in 2015 were US$3 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and in social media.

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