Energy security has become a pressing issue in protecting energy resources. The transportation sectorrnconsumes almost half of the petroleum used in the United States while being a major contributor of the airrnpollution. In 1994, the United State Department of Energy started the Clean Cities Program to address thesernissues. Clean Cities is a nationwide initiate to encourage the use of alternative fuels, infrastructure andrnvehicles through grassroots groups in designated areas throughout the country. The program is a voluntary,rnlocally based government and industry partnership to mobilize local stakeholders in the effort to expand thernuse of alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuels. The programs seeks to improve the quality of life be usingrnclean domestic fuels for transportation. Now, hydrogen, electric and hybrid electric, bio-diesel, natural gas,rnliquid petroleum, ethanol, and methanol are major technologies being implemented in the program. Newrnlegislation introduced a new class of vehicle call the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) providing for lowrnspeed electrical vehicle for community use. The market for alternative fuel vehicle has grown with thernassistance of the many Clean Cities Coalitions.
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