Domestic Fuel

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB) have awarded a grant to the Clean Fuels Foundation to support a statewide program to increase the sale of high level ethanol blends. MGPUB will be supporting the National FlexFuel Vehicle Awareness Campaign in a statewide program to increase awareness among owners of flexible fuel vehicles that are capable of utilizing ethanol blends up to 85%.

MGPUB joins the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and more than 30 national companies and organizations that are part of the FFV Awareness Campaign working in several other states across the country. The overall campaign has been developed and is coordinated by the Clean Fuels Foundation, a Maryland based non-profit organization. With 16 E85 stations in the state and another half dozen scheduled to open in 2011, Maryland is a prime location to increase the use of ethanol and continue to expand infrastructure.

According to Marion Wilson, the President of the MGPUB, the FFV Awareness Campaign is a perfect compliment to the recent investment they have made in refueling infrastructure. “This program is the next step in the evolution of the ethanol program. We are getting more refueling locations all the time and the cars are becoming increasingly available. We will make sure current FFV owners are aware their vehicles have this capability and then inform them that these fuels are available and where they can get them,” said Mr. Wilson. “We are sure that when drivers know this we will see an increase in the use of ethanol which provides a range of environmental, energy, and economic benefits,” he said.

“Maryland is a prime candidate to use our small grains like barley for the production of advanced biofuels like ethanol,” said Lynne Hoot, Executive Director of the MGPUB. “By increasing the use of ethanol right here in the state we would offer a great advantage to anyone developing a project in Maryland,” she said.

Protec Fuel announces the opening of an E85 pump at 5264 New Jesup Highway in Brunswick, Georgia. Offering the clean burning, alternative fuel, Mr. Pete’s is the first station to have Protec Fuel’s imaging on their dispenser.

E85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petroleum and can be used in over 8,000 FFVs across the area. The alternative fuel has been proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign petroleum.

Mr. Pete’s used Protec Fuel’s turnkey program which included designing and managing the equipment conversion and fuel supply. “We are pleased to be assisting this station with their E85 infrastructure and supply of fuel,” said CEO of Protec Fuel, Todd Garner. “Mr. Pete’s is a prime location for Protec’s roll-out of new E85 dispenser imaging and we look forward to seeing additional sites with our specialized branding.”

The E85 site is also the first of its kind in the area. Located just north of Jacksonville and south of Savannah, the owner is excited to begin selling the product. “I’m looking forward to see how many green vehicles will use our new fuel,” noted owner of Mr. Pete’s, Al Coty. “I’m proud to carry the fuel – it’s keeping the money in this country and helping our economy.”

Mr. Pete’s and Protec Fuel have teamed up with the Clean Fuels Foundation through their National Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV) Awareness Campaign to help market the station and gain additional exposure. “Support from the state government, a strong Clean Cities program, in-state 1st and 2nd generation ethanol production, and a strong existing refueling infrastructure placed Georgia on our key market list in this partnership,” said Burl Haigwood, Clean Fuels Foundation and Project Manager for the National FFV Awareness Campaign.

Mr. Pete’s is open seven days a week. The site offers a convenience store and pay at the pump option.

The Clean Fuels Foundation announced today that they are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand public awareness on fueling options available to owners of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs).

The FFV awareness effort is targeting several areas across the country to increase the use of ethanol blends in FlexFuel vehicles. “Breaking through the blend wall begins with the 8 million FlexFuel vehicles on the road today, and reaching these drivers to make sure they know they can use ethanol blends up to 85%,” said Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager. Tonsager also noted FFVs of any age can use E15 or any other gasoline ethanol blend up to E85 and can take advantage of favorable market pricing on these blends when offered.

According to Douglas A. Durante, Director of the Clean Fuels Foundation, a little effort goes a long way in terms of consumer education. “We have found when consumers realize their vehicles have this capability and we inform them where they can get the fuel, ethanol sales increase dramatically.”

Select Thorntons stores in the states of Kentucky and Indiana will be holding an E85 promotion on Black Friday. Thorton’s will be selling E85 for 85 cents per gallon from 7AM to 3PM on Friday, November 26.

“We are very excited about the expansion of E85 fuel in our stores and are promotion its availability to raise consumer awareness on savings as well as educating consumers on protecting our environment,” said Matt Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of Thorntons. “We support the use of ethanol, wherever it is economically available”.

Thorntons will be holding their E85 promotion at the following locations:

401 W Court Ave in Jeffersonville, IN
2700 Fern Valley Rd. in Louisville, KY
2291 Elkhorn Drive in Lexington, KY
5760 Crawfordsville Rd. in Speedway, IN
6880 W Washington St. in Indianapolis, IN
4015 E 82nd St. in Indianapolis, IN
7020 Pendleton Pike in Lawrence, IN
3909 Hwy 31E in Clarksville, IN
12001 N US 31 in Edinburgh, IN

Thorntons Inc. is a leading independent gasoline/convenience chain retailer, marketing throughout the Midwest. They operate 165 gasoline/convenience stores and carry E85 at many locations.

According to the Tucson Regional Clean Cities Coalition Arizona Petroleum reached their goal of raising $2,000 for the Alzheimer’s Desert Southwest Chapter Memory Walk. During the month of October, Arizona Petroleum, Tucson’s largest supplier of E85 and Biodiesel in Southern Arizona, gave .5 cents of every gallon of E85 and Biodiesel sold, both bulk and retail, to the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk.

“On Saturday, November 6, 2010 I was proud to be at the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk event while Jerry Kachenko, of Arizona Petroleum, stood on the stage at the Reid Park Bandshell and presented the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association with a check for $2,000,” noted Colleen Crowninshield, Manager, Clean Cities/Solar Partnership Programs. “We should all be very proud that we are giving back to our community by using biofuels, and I want to extend a warm thank you to Arizona Petroleum, for giving their time and dollars to this very worthwhile event.”

Other retailers who participated in the event in Arizona were:
Coolidge Chevron, 295 S. Arizona Blvd., Coolidge
C & T Alvernon & Pima, Tucson
Fastlane Chevron Ajo & I-10, Tucson
Gas City Houghton & Alvernon, Tucson
Gas City Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista
Gas City Buffalo Soldier Tr., Sierra Vista
Loma Catalina Ruthraff and La Cholla, Tucson
Loma Catalina Dove Mtn., Tucson
Pioneer Fuel 22nd & Kolb, Tucson
Quik Mart Irvington & Houghton, Tucson
Quick Pik #3 Pantano & Golf Links, Tucson
R & D Conoco Magee & Thornydale, Tucson
Super Stop Sahuarita

The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk® is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. This event calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

The 2012 Ford Focus will receive up to 40 mpg using E10 and will also be able to run on E85. The 2.0-liter engine will combine the technology of gasoline direct injection with twin independent variable camshaft timing and E85 flexible fuel capability.

Ford notes that the direct injection improves fuel economy and performance by delivering the exact amount of gasoline right into the combustion chamber. The engine can operate at a high 12:1 compression ratio, compared with the 2011 Focus’ engine’s 10:1 ratio, further enhancing power and efficiency. And unlike most competitive direct injection systems, the engine will be E85 flex fuel-capable.

The new Focus will be among the global leaders in fuel economy and CO2 emissions,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “We will continue to pioneer new technologies beyond launch, including the zero-emissions Focus Electric BEV launching in North America in 2011. Throughout its life cycle, Focus in all forms, in all regions, will demonstrate the Ford commitment to deliver unsurpassed fuel economy on a truly global scale.”

Ford’s 2011 flexible fuel vehicle line includes the Crown Victoria, E-Series Van, Escape, Expedition, F-150 and Super Duty. Their Lincoln FFV line includes the Navigator and Town Car. Mercury’s 2011 FFVs are the Grand Marquis, Mariner and Milan.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has named Kevin Herdler Clean Cities 2010 Coordinator of the Year in recognition of his successes in reducing petroleum use in the St. Louis region. Herdler has led the work of St. Louis Clean Cities (SLCC) since 2001. Under his leadership, SLCC drove down the region’s 2009 petroleum consumption by 3.3 million gallons, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 28,600 tons. And his efforts are on pace to exceed those numbers in 2010.

SLCC has initiated scores of projects that have replaced petroleum use with use of alternative fuels, laid the groundwork for infrastructure to deliver alternative fuels, and improved the fuel efficiency of vehicle fleets.

Among Herdler’s recent accomplishments, he worked with six school districts to install fuel-fired heaters in more than 600 school buses. The heaters use a very small quantity of fuel to warm up bus engines and heat bus interiors, eliminating the need for drivers to idle their engines before they set off on their routes. Herdler has worked with truckers to install auxiliary power units (APUs), which also cut down on engine idling. Hundreds of St. Louis-based truckers now use APUs to heat their cabs and power appliances, thus chipping away at the 800 million gallons of diesel fuel lost every year in the U.S. to truck idling. Herdler even spurred the replacement of two Mississippi River tugboat engines, resulting in a 40 percent savings in their fuel use.

Herdler’s seemingly limitless energy for reducing petroleum use springs from his days in the U.S. Air Force.

“As a military veteran, I see the impacts of our dependence on foreign oil,” Herdler said. “I like the idea of using American fuel and supporting American jobs. And on top of that, there’s the benefit of cleaner air.”

“Kevin has been with Clean Cities since the beginning, and his heart has always been in this,” national Clean Cities Director Dennis Smith said. “His actions are something to emulate and learn from, and we’re proud of him.”

Smith presented Herdler with the Coordinator of the Year Award on Sept. 21 during a leadership retreat in Rapid City, S.D. DOE selected Herdler from a group of accomplished nominees representing Clean Cities coalitions throughout the nation.

The Petro Serve E85 station at 3902 Main Ave. in Fargo, North Dakota will be celebrating Odyssey Day tomorrow with an E85 promotion. Odyssey Day is a nationwide series of events and promotions held every two years to educate the public about alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles.

The alternative fueling facility will sell E85 for 85 cents less per less per gallon and will sell E30 at 60 cents less per gallon than regular unleaded. The event is being sponsored by the North Dakota Renewable Energy Council, North Dakota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Department of Commerce, North Dakota Ethanol Council, North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association, Petro Serve USA and by the American Lung Association in North Dakota, which supports cleaner-burning E85 as one way to reduce air pollution and its related health concerns.

More than 41,000 FFVs are now registered in North Dakota and flex fuel capability comes standard on more than 40 vehicle models.

The National FFV Awareness Campaign in cooperation with the Central Texas Clean Cities, Sac N Pac Stores, Inc., Growth Energy and Protec Fuels is holding a grand opening celebration today for their new E85 pump. The idea is to bring consumers more access to higher blends of ethanol in Texas. The celebration will be held at the Sac N Pac E85 station at 1002 Highway 80 in San Marcos, Texas.

“Choice is the cornerstone of independence and the free market. October 17, 2010 marks the 37th anniversary of the nation’s 1st oil embargo. Many shortages and price spikes later U.S. oil imports continue to rise and are expected to soon reach 70%. After 37 years of fighting for change consumers now have a choice of FFVs auto dealer showrooms and E85 at the pump,” said Burl Haigwood, the project manager for the National FFV Awareness Campaign. “Over 9 million consumers nationwide, and over 700,000 consumers in Texas, are driving these special FlexFuel Vehicles (FFVs)—but most FFV owners don’t know they are driving one. Our goal is to locate and educate FFV owners, and motivate them to buy higher blends of ethanol like E85. There is a tremendous economic stimulation opportunity from developing new biomass crops into biofuels in Texas — if consumers continue to show retailers they prefer domestic clean burning fuels like E85. Just like paper or plastic, we now have gasoline or E85. Consumers now have choice.”

“We are pleased to be working with these groups in Texas to support high level blends of ethanol and flexible fuel vehicles,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “Providing consumers with greater access to ethanol will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and strengthen our energy security.” Growth Energy is an official supporter of the campaign.

Sac N Pac’s grand opening celebration will include remarks beginning at 1:00 p.m. by invited guests such as: Mayor of San Marcos, State Representatives, San Marcos City Council Representative, Hays County Commissioner Representative, San Marcos ISD and Hays County Consolidated School Districts Representative.

Registration for a $500 E85 fuel card gift card will begin during the promotion and FFV drivers will have until November 15, 2010 to qualify at the station.

The BP/Daily Express E85 station at 8490 SE Point Douglas Road in Cottage Grove, Minnesota will be holding a promotion celebrating Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Odyssey Day, a nationwide series of events and promotions held every two years to educate the public about alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles. According to the American Lung Association of Minnesota, on Friday Oct. 15, the station will discount E85 by 60 cents per gallon from 4-6 p.m. The first 20 flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) in line will receive E85 for 85¢ per gallon.

Jack’s BP in Watkins, Minnesota is also celebrating AFV Odyssey day with an E85 “frequent fuel card” promotion – after two tankfuls of E85, eligible participants will receive a $15 discount on their third fill up at Jack’s BP.

Supporters of the promotion in Cottage Grove include the Linn Companies, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, the Clean Air Choice Team and the American Lung Association in Minnesota, which supports the use of E85 and biodiesel fuels as part of an overall strategy to reduce and prevent air pollution.

E85 is now available in Doraville, Georgia. The new Shell Nirvana Food Mart E85 station is located at 6400 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. This station will serve FFVs for commuters on Hwy 141.

The facility is part of a partnership with Protec Fuel and the Clean Fuels Foundation through their National FlexFuel Vehicle (FFV) Awareness Campaign.

“Nirvana Food Mart is driven to provide our customers with a clean American fuel. Our customers have the ability to make a difference after watching numerous oil rigs and pipelines pollute our nation,” said Sheikh Rashed, owner of Nirvana Food Mart.

Steve Walk, Executive Director at Protec, said, “Protec is proud to work with Mr. Rashed and other retailers throughout the United States to expand the availability of E85. These E85 stations will be critical for consumers who will want a choice when oil prices continue to go up after our economy starts to rebound and who would rather keep their dollars in the United States.”

Burl Haigwood of the FlexFuel Vehicle Awareness Campaign said, “Many retailers are responding to the growing consumer demand for low carbon renewable fuels by installing E85 dispensers. It is important to now support these station owners by making sure that the FlexFuel vehicle (FFV) owners are aware that they now have a fuel choice and where they can get E85. FFV owners literally hold the key to meeting the goals of the national renewable fuel standard and they need to know they will personally reap the economic, environmental, and national security benefits from using higher blends of ethanol like E85.”

There are currently 39 E85 outlets in the state of Georgia.

According to School Transportation News, the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVI) announced that it will no longer hold their Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference + Expo (AF&V), a four-day annual conference that brought together groups interested in advancing alternative fuels. The conference, which was formally called the annual Clean Cities Conference and Exposition, held 16 years of consecutive conferences.

“Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen alternative fuels go from the obscure to the mainstream,” said Annalloyd Thomason, Executive Director. “Federal Recovery Act funding puts the alternative fuels and vehicles industries in extremely good positions for the future. While the Conference once served as a tool to foster the further development of the industry, we see that role shrinking…and that’s a good thing.”

Thomason added that she sees alternative fuels not being an “alternative” for much longer. With strict federal emission and fuel economy mandates coming into effect soon, fleets will increasingly use alternative fuels and vehicles to meet the new standards.

“It’s a bittersweet ending,” she said. “We so appreciate the support of our sponsors and exhibitors throughout the years, and we’ll continue to work with them in the future on other projects.” Thomason doesn’t rule out resurrecting the Conference in the future. “If the marketplace demonstrates a need, we’ll re-evaluate it at that time.”

AFVi will continue its efforts to develop the alternative fuels market and continue to brand itself as “The Answer Place for Fleets” through market development and consulting.

The first Progressive Automotive X Prize, a one-year race to design an ultra-efficient car that’s “safe, affordable and desirable”, winner has been announced and it runs on E85.

According to the New York Times, The Very Light Car, built by Virginia company Edison2, won the $5 million first prize with 100 mpg and the lowest carbon footprint of all contestants. Its gasoline engine, which ran on E85, beat out dozens of electric and hybrid cars, vehicles currently thought to be among the most efficient available.

David Friedman, who directs the Clean Vehicle Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists said, “While these [X Prize] vehicles may not be what we’re going to see on the road in the next decade, they really do point to a lot of the ingredients that we need to get to 60 miles per gallon, or more, in the next 15 years.”

The auto industry has targeted a goal for vehicles to receive 60 miles per gallon (mpg), “Just last year automakers supported reaching 35+ mpg by 2016, and before we have even achieved those new heights, the calls have begun to almost double mileage,” said Dave McCurdy, president of the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers. “Clearly we live in a period of extreme political volatility, and some groups are promoting their political wish list prior to the elections,” he said.

For automakers, the question is how to do it. They have offered more efficient gasoline cars in recent years, but some are betting big on electric and plug-in hybrid cars.

Students at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) are studying the flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) conversion process. As first reported on KMIT.com, by using FlexFuel U.S.’s system, the students are excited to learn how to lessen dependence on foreign oil imports.

“It’s pretty interesting and it’s easy to install too and it’s not really that hard. The hardest thing is the wiring and even then it’s not that hard,” said student Heath Tulp/

The students at NIACC are putting in a supplemental fuel injection system to a vehicle adding fuel as needed so the car can run smoothly on both gas and E85.

Mitch Sremac who invented the system said he created it “To make it easy enough to install by most technicians and be able to keep the car running and meet emission standards.”

NIACC is the first school to study the new conversion system.

Flex Fuel U.S.®, a company dedicated to the development of future fuel solutions and alternative fuel conversion systems, has been awarded approval to sell and install E85 Flex Fuel conversion systems to Federal Government Fleets through the Federal GSA schedule. The system is the first EPA certified product enabling existing cars and light duty trucks to be legally converted to run any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to E85.

To date Flex Fuel U.S. has the capability to convert the Chrysler Charger/300, the Ford Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis/Town Car vehicles and will soon announce a light duty truck. The product can be installed on the vehicle in 2 hours, requires only moderate technical expertise and doesn’t void the warranty on the vehicle. The product is backed by a 24 month warranty covering defects in parts and materials. The owner is fully protected when using higher concentrations of ethanol in the vehicle.

“We believe this new technology provides a valuable tool for fleet managers because it allows vehicles to be retrofitted into alternative fuel at a very low cost. Also if you need a vehicle that’s not offered from the OEM as flex fuel capable, our system can be used.” says Don Althoff, CEO of Flex Fuel US. “Flex Fuel US has a proven track record of success converting vehicles over the last three years. This includes successful fleet demonstration project at the City of Chicago and one underway through the State of Iowa’s DOE Energy Independence Grant. We have proven we can reliably develop, install, and operate E85 conversion systems across multiple vehicle manufactures and engine platforms.”

Flex Fuel US is rolling out conversion systems to federal, state, and municipal fleets to accelerate conversion of legacy vehicles. “We look forward to developing E85 conversion products on vehicles that are not available in Flex Fuel models such as fuel efficient compacts, hybrids and high performance vehicles.” Says Mitch Sremac, founder and inventor.