The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) co-hosted the Optima Stakeholder Listening Day on June 16–17, 2015, in Golden, Colorado, to help shape a major new Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sustainable Transportation initiative. The initiative is now called Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima).

In this multi-year initiative, a team of national laboratories will, with guidance from industry and other important stakeholders, work to accelerate the concurrent development of advanced fuels and engines that are economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and commercially scalable. As envisioned, Co-Optima is poised to set the stage for a rapid transition to advanced fuels and propulsion systems for every vehicle on the road.

To help ensure the success of this ambitious initiative, BETO and VTO designed the listening day to obtain guidance from diverse stakeholders. The event provided participants an opportunity to influence the key components of Co-Optima; identify potential barriers to its success; and gain an early stake in Co-Optima goals, timelines, and technical paths relevant to their areas of interest. Open discussion and use of Web-based tools allowed all attendees to contribute comprehensive feedback on draft project plans—and provide critical information to DOE and the national labs.

Specific topics covered during the listening day included the following:

  • Scoping the new horizon for fuel and vehicle optimization
  • Vehicle and fuel interaction issues for the near term and mid term
  • Barriers to deployment of new fuels and vehicles
  • Opportunities for stakeholders.