From the Office of the Executive Director

Dear Friends:

Warmer weather helps everything around us to grow, and the NAFTC is no different! We have some very exciting summer projects going on at the NAFTC including the inaugural "Clean Air & Energy Independence" Conference to be held June 19-20, in Asheville, NC. The semi-annual conference will take the place of our usual business meetings so we can include more people within the alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle industry. More details about the conference can be found in the eNews story, "NAFTC to Host Inaugural 'Clean Air & Energy Independence' Conference." I hope to see many of you there.

Other exciting news includes the visit by popular public television show MotorWeek as they stopped by NAFTC Headquarters while conducting emissions and fuel economy testing on several alternative fuel vehicles and their gasoline-powered counterparts. You can learn more about MotorWeek's visit in the eNews story, "NAFTC Headquarters Welcomes DOE/MotorWeek." During the same day as MotorWeek's visit, the NAFTC conducted a First Responder Safety Training: Hybrid Electric Vehicles training for instructors. For more information on the training take a look at the article "NAFTC Trains Instructors to Meet First Responder Safety Training Needs."

As we all continue to be amazed with the soaring gas prices, our only hope is that the government continues to fund projects that will eventually lead to a stronger alternative fuels infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Energy has recently funded some major biofuels projects; learn more in the "US DOE Invests Millions on Biofuels Advancements." In other industry news, the National 25x'25 Renewable Energy Summit took place recently that addressed the Bush Administration's call on the nation's renewable resources to meet 25 percent of America's energy needs by the year 2025. For the full story, please read the full "Renewable Energy Summit Addresses 25x'25 Goal," article.

Just like spring, the NAFTC is abuzz with progress, but we're never too busy to help you if our assistance is needed, so please do not hesitate to contact us!

Sincerely,

Al Ebron
NAFTC Executive Director