Green Energy Fleet Plan

The Municipality of Middlesex Centre has expressed interest in developing a Green Energy Fleet Plan. This study is being undertaken to explore the opportunities for Middlesex Centre to reduce greenhouse gases along with the optimization of vehicle replacement and capital purchases to ensure that the residents of Middlesex Centre are receiving the best value and the fleet replacement is optimized.The study will include five phases. Phase 1: Fleet Baseline Review and Peer Fleet Comparison will include a review of the Municipality’s current fleet and historical data, to develop a well-informed and actionable roadmap for future green fleet management decisions around carbon reduction. This will be achieved by employing the Fleet Challenge “Fleet Analytics Review” (FAR) software. Fleet Challenge will complete baseline analysis of the Municipality’s fleet to document the current situation and identify pragmatic, go-forward opportunities for improvement. The baseline review is also necessary to be able to set develop a target for GHG reduction of 20%. The outcomes of Phase 1 will take into consideration corporate social responsibility and the ‘triple bottom line’, including:Phase 2: Life Cycle Analysis (“LCA”) will illustrate the total life cycle cost of owning and operating a fleet vehicle type or category. LCA uses historical cost data for each vehicle category to determine at what age units should be considered for replacement to reduce GHGs and costs.LCA will assist Middlesex Centre in analyzing their operations and prioritizing strategies that optimize vehicle life, minimize GHG and return on investment. Development of vehicle retention recommendations based on LCA results and an overarching retention strategy will be determined that describes optimal replacement times for all types of vehicles in the Middlesex Centre fleet along with the purchase of new ‘green’ vehicles that will have reduced emissions, including electric vehicles.Phase 3: Best Management Practices Review (BMPR) is a Fleet Challenge process that methodically and efficiently explores a fleet’s management practices, processes, policies and legislative compliance regarding the reduction of GHG. BMPR highlights areas where there may be gaps and/or opportunities for improvement relative to 'best in class' fleets. The process helps determine a roadmap to improvement and helps determine:• What is and is not working,• Areas of GHG reductions and• New best management practices that will enhance financial, environmental and service level.Phase 4: Long-Term Capital Planning Tool will complement Phase 2: Life Cycle Analysis and calculate five-year (or longer) fleet capital replacement plans with the objective of balancing go-forward budgets and in doing so, avoiding year to year cost spikes. The Long-Term Capital Planning tool is an automated system that allows for the ultimate, logic-based, well-informed business decisions to either: “replace”, “defer to next year” or “dispose” of units due for replacement. The tool calculates and displays the impacts of those choices. Using the Long-Term Capital Planning tool, a capital budget is prepared for five years in advance. With all the information that has been gathered through the various previous phases, Middlesex Centre will be able to develop a Green Fleet Plan that will set the targets of GHG reduction along with a strategy on the inclusion of an electric vehicle fleet.Phase 5: Communication of Findings. The results of the findings and a draft fleet plan will be prepared and presented to Council. Once Council has provided feedback and alterations (if necessary) to the Green Fleet Plan have been made Middlesex Centre will have a clear path forward for fleet management and the reduction of GHG. This process falls within Middlesex Centre’s Strategic Theme, Quality of Life which promotes environmental initiatives in becoming an environmentally sustainable green community. This information will then be communicated to the residents of Middlesex Centre through pamphlets, information sessions and meetings to create an awareness of the initiative that have been undertaken by the Municipality along with a guide to how they will also be able to reduce GHG.