INDIANAPOLIS – “Green” was a definite theme at this week’s NTEA Work Truck Show, and not more so as during the the Green Truck Summit portion of the week-long show.

The opening keynote speaker was U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu, who gave a presentation "Unleasing Innovation to Transform the Transportation Sector." During his remarks, he quoted President Barack Obama, who said, "It's time to take control of our energy future,” and also presented climate change data, noting that the Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition has saved more than 72-million gallons of gasoline.

During a session on work truck technology trends, John Boesel, president and CEO of CALSTART, provided a more sobering statistic: Since 1986, the U.S. has consumed approximately 50 percent of all oil consumed in human history.

The presentation on "Gaseous Fuels: A Successful Alternative" included Darren Engle, director of marketing for Alliance Autogas partner Blue Star Gas. He noted that there is not one "magic bullet" alternative fuel that's right for everyone. Instead, alternative-fuel suppliers and vehicle manufacturers must work together toward the common goal: reducing our dependence on oil.

Electrification was a topic of discussion with Representatives from Altec Industries, Verizon, and Frito-Lay discussing the work truck market, and their successes in implementing battery technology.

The final group session at the Summit focused on fuel efficiency and the elimination of fuel waste. Real-world examples of successful efficiency strategies were presented by George Survant of Florida Power & Light and Tony Bizjak, CAFM, of Prince George's County, Md., Fire & EMS Dept.

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