Domestic Fuel

Don’t know where to buy your biodiesel? Un-enlightened about ethanol’s whereabouts? Perplexed about propane? Well, a new tool from the National Renewable Energy Labs and Google could help you be a more active alternative fuel buyer.

Ecogeek.org reports that the two have launched TransAtlas, an interactive map that shows all existing and planned alternative fuel stations across the country:

The mapping tool allows you to view each type of fuel station as a layer, so you can view one at at time or all fuel types simultaneously. The seven alternative fuels mapped are hydrogen, propane, electric, liquified natural gas, compressed natural gas, E85 and biodiesel.

The tool also allows you to view vehicle density layers for hybrid-electric, flex-fuel and diesel cars. Electric and hydrogen stations are far behind fuels like E85 and biodiesel, but their locations correspond pretty neatly with the areas where those cars are being driven. I’d like to think that if more of those types of stations are built in more areas, the corresponding vehicles will follow.

This should help solve the problem that too many well-intentioned, potential alternative fuel-using people are having: not being able to find their favorite green fuel.