Senate to investigate 'flex-fuel' fleet

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jul 10, 2007 | by Kimberly Kindy

SACRAMENTO -- Two state Senate committees on Monday scheduled an investigative hearing to examine why Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration purchased a new fleet of large sedans and trucks -- touting them as green machines -- but for two years filled them with regular gas, spewing more pollution into the air than many cars in the old fleet.

A joint hearing, by the Senate Governmental Organization Committee and the Senate Committee on Air Quality, is set for Aug. 15. It was called in response to a MediaNews investigation that showed state officials purchased 1,138 "flex-fuel" vehicles, promising they would help California kick its dependence on petroleum.

The fuel needed to transform the vehicles into clean-driving machines is a high-grade blend of ethanol. The problem: Not a single ethanol station is available to the fleet.

"This seems to be a pattern," said Sen. Dean Florez, chairman of the Governmental Organization Committee. "The governor loves to take the time to pose and talk about the greening of California but very little gets done in terms of doing the hard work."

Florez said that in addition to the alternative fuel fleet the hearing will look at the state's failure to meet a Jan 1, 2007, deadline to install solar energy equipment in state buildings and garages. The law applies to all construction that started on or before Jan. 1, 2003.

The Legislature is considering Assembly Bill 532, which would extend the deadline by two years. It's unclear how many buildings and garages are out of compliance with the law.

The Department of General Services is responsible for environmental policies and laws for the state's fleet and its buildings.

Linda Adams, secretary for the California Environmental Protection Agency, defended the department's and Schwarzenegger's record on both programs.

"Those cars will be in the fleet for numerous years to come and we hope the fuel will be available in the near future. We feel it's appropriate to make those investments now," Adams said. "I do believe the Department of General Services is moving aggressively and I know the governor appreciates Senator Florez's interest in ensuring that the state's fleet and buildings are green."

Adams said she doesn't know how many buildings are in compliance with the solar law, but said General Services had made measurable gains. In 2006, the department installed 3.2 megawatts of solar power in state buildings, which reduced annual greenhouse gases by

2,725 tons. That's the equivalent to removing about 740 passenger cars from the road.

Florez said committee members will expect to learn at the hearing why the failures happened and be provided with specific plans for how they'll be remedied in the near future.

Officials with General Services declined interview requests, releasing a prepared statement, saying they "look forward to having the opportunity to share information" with the committees.

Florez said he is calling witnesses from General Services, but he places much of the responsibility for stumbles with the environmental initiatives on Schwarzenegger's shoulders because the governor has cast himself as a green leader, not just to Californians, but to the world. He pointed to the recent dust up at the California Air Resources Board when the governor fired the board chairman over how to implement provisions of the 2006 global warming law.

"When you stake a claim on an issue," Florez said, "when it's your administration where you have enormous influence on how government runs, not to follow-through and making sure our state buildings are green is a failure, quite simple."

Contact Kimberly Kindy at kkindy@mercurynews.com or (916) 325- 4314.