Events & News

News: Activities in Other Regions 

New Fuel Facility, Providing Multiple Alternative Fuels, Opens in San Diego The world's first comprehensive alternative fuel and vehicle facility has opened in San Diego, California. The Regional Transportation Center (RTC) is a 92,000 square-foot facility featuring alternative fuel sales, an alternative fuel vehicle sales showroom, vehicle service center, and an alternative fuel education center. Located in a busy area along I-15, the RTC sells biodiesel, E85, natural gas and propane, along with gasoline, ultra low-sulfur diesel and an electric charging station. Short-term AFV rentals are also offered. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the RTC fuel station accepts all major credit, debit and Voyager cards, and cash. The project was funded in part by a $1.4 million donation from Ford Motor Company and underwritten by Pearson Ford. Grant funds came from government agencies including the U.S. Department of House and Urban Development. More information is available at: http://www.rtc4afv.com/

First Tennessee Public E85 Facility Opens  The first public E85 facility in Tennessee opened recently in Nashville. Citgo's new 10,000-gallon E85 tank will service about 1,200 fleet vehicles as well as the public. Clean Cities of Middle Tennessee worked with Hollingsworth Oil and received a grant from the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition to partially fund the project. For more information about E85, to find a complete list of E85 fueling locations, or to see if your vehicle can be powered by this fuel, visit the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition Web site.

New E85 Tank in Amarillo, Texas  The second E85 station in Texas will soon be pumping E85. The new 10,000-gallon E85 tank is located near Amarillo, Texas, and also offers biodiesel and unleaded gasoline for its 300-vehicle fleet. BWXT Pantex, which manages and operates the Pantex nuclear weapons facility for the National Nuclear Security Administration, will initially use E85 in about 85 vehicles, and hopes to have more than 200 flexible-fuel vehicles in the next two years. Pantex installed this tank to help the plant comply with Executive Order 13149, which requires the federal government to decrease its petroleum use by 20% by 2005.For a complete list of E85 locations, visit the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition Web site at www.E85Fuel.com 

Glacier National Park to Use Biofuels in Entire Fleet  Glacier National Park, in northwest Montana, is now operating all the park's diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles using blends of biodiesel and ethanol. The project is being supported in part by a partnership with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Energy that provided $25,000 over
three years to cover the additional expense of the cleaner-burning fuels. Following an initial testing period, the park is now using B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel, in its entire fleet of 60 diesel-powered trucks. The park is also using a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent conventional gasoline in all of its gasoline-powered vehicles. Contact: Glacier National Park, website http://www.nps.gov/glac.

Berkeley to Use Pure Biodiesel in Fleet  The city of Berkeley, California is now operating 90 percent of its diesel-powered vehicles on B100, or pure, vegetable oil-based biodiesel. The city's fleet consists of approximately 200 vehicles including those used by the departments of public works, parks, police, and health and human services. The other 10 percent of the diesel vehicles are operated by the fire department and will begin using biodiesel once delivery is available to the remote fire stations throughout the city. Contact: Patrick Keilch, City of Berkeley, 510-981-6300, website http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us.

Illinois State University to Use Biodiesel  Illinois State University (ISU) will begin fueling university equipment such as backhoes, loaders and generators with biodiesel, as a 5% blend with 95% petroleum diesel. The change to biodiesel is expected to take place over the next few months. According to the university, the use of biodiesel will increase the universities fuel cost by approximately $1,000 for the 16,000 gallons of diesel fuel used each year, but the university feels the environmental benefits far outweigh this cost, particularly coupled with ISU's strong connections to the agriculture community. 

Maryland Fleet Adds CNG Buses  Officials in Montgomery County, Maryland have announced that 55 new compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered buses will be introduced to the county fleet during the next 18 months, with 38 of the buses replacing older diesel models. The county is also planning to construct a new $4.4-million fueling station to accommodate the bus fleet. The County has stated that they do not plan to retrofit any of its remaining diesel buses, due to both cost and the fact that fuel suppliers appeared very uncertain regarding their ability to consistently provide ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.

Illinois Extends Ethanol Tax Exemption  Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich recently signed legislation that extends the state's sales tax exemption for ethanol by 10 years, while creating a new tax credit for biodiesel fuels and establishing a grant program to encourage the construction of renewable fuel production and research facilities. The new Illinois Renewable Fuels Development Program will provide up to $15 million a year in financial assistance for the construction, modification, alteration or retrofitting of plants in Illinois that have a production capacity of at least 30 million gallons of renewable fuel per year. The sales tax exemption, which was slated to expire in July, will be extended to 2013 and will be expanding to include biodiesel fuels.