CALSTART (www.calstart.org)
– North America’s
leading advanced transportation technologies consortium –
today announced the winners of its prestigious Blue Sky Award™
2008. The annual awards recognize outstanding marketplace contributions
to clean air, energy efficiency and to the clean transportation industry
overall by companies, organizations and individuals.
The 2008 winners were selected as the top firms and individuals from
among several dozens nominated internationally for their market
leadership and real actions in advanced and green transportation. A
special awards ceremony and luncheon will honor the winners June 10th
and attendance is welcome.
“This year’s Blue
Sky Award™ winners represent the best in our
expanding industry: taking real actions with real products to improve
air quality, combat global warming, ensure our energy security and
create sustainable jobs,” said CALSTART
President and CEO John Boesel.
The Blue Sky Award™ 2008 winners are:
Eaton Corporation (NYSE:ETN), of Cleveland, Ohio, won the Blue
Sky Award™ for being the world’s
first in developing and bringing to market both hybrid electric and
hybrid hydraulic systems for medium and heavy commercial vehicles.
Business Region Göteborg of Sweden,
won the Charles R. Imbrecht Blue Sky
Innovation Award™ for catalyzing Sweden’s
use of biomethane as a renewable transportation fuel now powering 4,500
natural gas cars, trucks and buses and a commuter train.
Southern Counties Express, Inc., of Los Angeles, Calif., won a Blue
Sky Merit Award™ for buying a fleet of
liquefied natural gas (LNG) port trucks and operating an LNG fueling
station that is publicly available to the port trucking community.
Union Pacific Railroad Co. (NYSE:UPN), of Omaha, Neb., won
a Blue Sky Merit Award™
for the development, procurement and deployment of more than 150
ultra-low emitting “Genset”
multi-engine diesel switching locomotives.
ZipCar, of San Francisco, Calif., won a Blue
Sky Merit Award™ for its car-sharing
program and its impact on the environment, reduction of parking demands,
lessening of traffic congestion and greenhouse emissions.
Winners’ Reactions
“We are pleased to receive this distinguished
honor from CALSTART,” said Alexander M.
Cutler, Eaton chairman and chief executive officer. “Eaton
customers worldwide are achieving improved efficiencies and important
emissions and fuel consumption savings with our hybrid power systems. We
see significant opportunities for further application of both hybrid
electric and hybrid hydraulic solutions, and we will continue to work
with our partners to expand the use of these technologies.”
“This is great honor for us and our bio
methane industry in Sweden,” said the
chairman of Business Region Göteborg, Göran
Johansson, who is also the Mayor of Göteborg. “To
be highlighted by such an organization as CALSTART is really important
for us and will contribute to a breakthrough worldwide for bio methane,”
said Göran Värmby,
Business Region Göteborg and Chairman of
Biogas West.
“As demand for clean natural gas for
transportation grows, especially at the ports, Southern Counties
Express is poised to provide reliable and affordable fueling
solutions for our own trucks and we are pleased to ensure that all
trucks serving the ports have access to this fueling station as well.
Thank you for recognizing our work,” Southern
Counties Express’ president Brian Griley,
said.
“Union Pacific is committed to moving freight
safely and more efficiently to reduce the environmental impact on the
communities in which we operate,” said Jim
Young, chairman and CEO, Union Pacific. “We
are honored to receive The Blue Sky Merit Award™
for work on the Genset locomotive and other environmental efforts which
reflect our employees' vision and creativity in generating solutions
that have a long-term positive impact on the transportation industry.”
“Our members are leading the way when it
comes to smart urban living,” said Scott
Griffith, Chairman and CEO of Zipcar. “By
making the environmentally and community conscious choice to use car
sharing, Zipcar members are eliminating private vehicles and reducing
personal vehicle miles traveled (VMT), saving millions of gallons of
gasoline annually.”
The 2008 Blue Sky Award™ awards ceremony and
luncheon will be held on June 10, 2008 at the Hilton Universal City,
11.30am – 1.30pm. Please visit www.calstart.org
for more information on attending or sponsoring this special event
supporting green transportation. A limited number of complimentary media
passes are available to credentialed members of the press. Contact MK
Campbell at 626/744-5602 for information.
The Blue Sky Award™ Judging Committee is made
up of representatives from the American Lung Association, CALSTART,
Florida Power & Light, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Southern
California Edison, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
About CALSTART
CALSTART is a participant-supported organization of more than 150 firms
and organizations worldwide, dedicated to expanding and supporting a
high-tech transportation industry that cleans the air, creates jobs,
reduces greenhouse gas emissions and improves energy efficiency.
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