Going Green in the Bluegrass State

In the world of sustainable fleet operations, few have been in the trenches longer than Melissa Howell, coordinator of the Kentucky Clean Cities Partnership (KCCP).

For nearly two decades, Howell has been working with fleets, fuel providers, vehicle manufacturers, policymakers, and other transportation stakeholders to cut emissions and petroleum use in the Bluegrass State and beyond. In 1994, a year after the U.S. Department of Energy launched the national Clean Cities program, Howell helped found KCCP. She has held the reins ever since, making her the longest-serving coordinator among the nation’s nearly 100 local Clean Cities coalitions.

“Thanks to Melissa Howell’s tireless dedication and commitment, Kentucky is less reliant on petroleum, and its residents are realizing tangible economic and environmental benefits,” said National Clean Cities Director Dennis Smith.

Howell has assisted with alternative-fuels deployment projects undertaken by fleets of all shapes and sizes, including those of Fort Knox army base, UPS, the universities of Kentucky and Louisville, and Murray State University. Howell has worked closely with Mammoth Cave National Park for many years, helping it become the first national park in the country to operate all its vehicles on alternative fuels, including propane autogas, biodiesel, electricity, and ethanol blends. These efforts are helping the park reduce its transportation-related emissions and showcasing these fuels and technologies to visitors. Read more here.