WASHINGTON - U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the availability of $5 million in new funding for community-based efforts to deploy electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and charging stations.

Chu and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made the announcement on a conference call with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup and St. Paul Mayor Christopher Coleman -- leaders of three of the nation's nearly 100 Clean Cities Coalitions.

"The Department of Energy's Clean Cities initiative is bringing together local governments and industry to demonstrate the benefits of advanced technology vehicles and help communities use less oil and gasoline to power their vehicles," said Chu. "The initiatives announced today are just the latest steps in our broader efforts to reduce America's dependence on oil, improve our energy security, and save families and businesses money."

Under the $5 million in electric vehicle funding announced April 19, local governments and private companies will partner to apply for funding to help accelerate installation of electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure. Communities will work to develop plans and strategies for EV deployment, update their EV permitting processes, develop incentive programs, or launch other local or regional initiatives that improve the experience of EV users and help bring these highly energy-efficient vehicles in the marketplace.

More information on the funding opportunity announcement, including application instructions and deadlines, is available FedConnect.net under the title "DE-FOA-0000451 Clean Cities FY 2011 FOA."

The Clean Cities Program is a public-private partnership that brings together federal, state and local governments, the auto industry, private sector fleet operators, and community leaders to help communities make their vehicle fleets more energy efficient. Since its inception in 1993, Clean Cities Coalitions and its stakeholders have saved nearly 3 billion gallons of gasoline. The Clean Cities Program supports a broad portfolio of technologies, including alternative and renewable fuels, fuel economy measures, idle reduction technologies, and emerging technologies like electric vehicles.  Read more information on the Clean Cities program.

Tucson, Denver and St. Paul have been three of the leaders nationally in developing policies to reduce the dependence on oil and gasoline locally.  Projects underway include the deployment of electric vehicles and chargers, E85 flex-fuel vehicles and infrastructure, biodiesel facilities that turn used cooking oil into vehicle fuel, natural gas vehicles, and consumer education efforts.

Below is a chart of top 25 Clean Cities Coalitions and amount of gasoline their efforts have helped displace from 2005-2009: