1. There
is hereby created the New Jersey Advanced Technology Vehicle Task
Force ("Task Force").
2. The Task
Force shall be composed of 7 members as follows:
(a) the
President of the Board of Public Utilities ("BPU"), or his designee;
(b) the
Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the Commerce and Economic
Growth Commission, or his designee;
(c) the
Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection,
or his designee;
(d) the
Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, or his designee;
(e) the
State Treasurer, or his designee;
(f) the
Attorney General, or his designee; and
(g) the
Executive Director of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority
("EDA"), or her designee.
3. The Governor
shall designate a chair and vice-chair of the Task Force from
among the foregoing members.
4. The Task
Force shall:
(a) assist
the Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") in developing and
coordinating ATV and AFV acquisition plans and vehicle placement
for State agencies;
(b) create
and implement a compliance monitoring program to ensure that
State fleet vehicles with bi-fuel capabilities operate utilizing
an alternative fuel to the maximum extent practicable;
(c) work
with individual State agencies to remove regulatory and other
non-economic barriers to increase the use of ATVs and AFVs in
public and private fleets throughout New Jersey;
(d) assist
Treasury in establishing life-cycle cost analysis guidelines
for the purchase, lease and use of vehicles by State agencies;
(e) administer
an annual Clean Fleets Partner Award to public and private fleets
demonstrating outstanding leadership in ATV acquisition and
use;
(f) assist
the EDA in reviewing requests for financial assistance from
companies that wish to purchase ATVs;
(g) assist
Treasury in preparing a plan for developing the refueling/recharging
infrastructure necessary to support the anticipated level of
AFV and ATV use by the State motor vehicle fleet; and
(h) assist
Treasury in creating an incentive program for other public entities
to defray the incremental costs of converting vehicles to alternative
fuel use or of acquiring ATVs.
5. The Task
Force shall issue a report to the Governor no later than one year
from the date that the Task Force convenes, and annually thereafter,
on the State's progress in increasing the acquisition and use
of AFVs and ATVs by the State motor vehicle fleet.
6. The State
of New Jersey and all State agencies shall exercise leadership
in the acquisition and use of ATVs and AFVs. The State shall exceed
the EPAct AFV acquisition requirements for State government fleets
by 5 percentage points for each model year. In Model Years 1999
and 2000, those additional vehicles acquired to fulfill this enhanced
commitment shall meet or exceed CARB low emission vehicle ("LEV")
standards in effect for those model years. In Model Year 2001,
and thereafter, those additional vehicles acquired to fulfill
this enhanced commitment shall meet or exceed CARB ULEV standards
in effect for those model years.
7. Treasury
shall, in consultation with the Task Force, work with individual
State agencies to develop and implement a five-year plan for the
integration of ATVs into the State motor vehicle fleet.
8. The EDA
shall provide financial assistance in the form of low-interest
loans and loan guarantees to qualifying New Jersey companies for
projects for the voluntary purchase of ATVs, consistent with N.J.S.A.
34:1B-1 et seq.
9. The New
Jersey Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles,
is directed to develop an ATV and AFV school bus inspection program,
so that school districts interested in utilizing advanced technology
or alternative fuel school buses may do so.
10. Treasury
shall take into consideration life-cycle costs when reviewing
individual State agency requests for motor vehicle acquisitions.
11. To the
extent allowed under law, Treasury shall negotiate reciprocal
agreements with other public entities, including educational institutions
and municipal and county governments, allowing for the shared
use of the existing and planned refueling/recharging infrastructure.
To the extent allowed under law, Treasury shall negotiate agreements
with the private sector to refuel/recharge the State's ATVs and
AFVs.
12. The
Task Force is authorized to call upon any department, office,
division or agency of State government to provide such data, information,
personnel and assistance as deemed necessary to discharge its
responsibilities under this Order. Each department, office, division
and agency of this State is hereby required, to the extent not
inconsistent with law, to cooperate with the Task Force and to
furnish it with such information, personnel and assistance as
is necessary to accomplish the purpose of this Order.
13. This
Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN,
under my hand and seal
this 16th day of April in the Year
of Our Lord, One Thousand Nine
Hundred and Ninety Nine, and of
the Independence of the United States,
the Two Hundred and Twenty-Third.
/s/
Christine Todd Whitman
Governor
[seal]