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In
This Issue: |
FYI Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 9, June 18, 2004
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E85 Offered at Eleventh Site in
South Dakota
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Consider Ethanol for Alternative Fuels
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New NEVC Staff Member,
Kathy Frese
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E85 Fuel Available in Topeka, KS
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E85 Station Open in Mason City, IL |
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Corn-Derived Fuel Helps NETL
Reach Environmental Goals
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Ethanol Pump Tour in
Greeley, CO
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Member
Spotlight:
STL Clean Cities Coalition
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Letters to the NEVC |
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E85
Offered at Eleventh Site in South Dakota |
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 The
Cenex fueling facility located at 10 South Hahm Avenue in
Rosholt, South Dakota, has become the eleventh in the
state to carry clean-burning E85. The fuel is available to
the public on their Cardtrol island 24 hours a day.
“We’ve had many customers ask for E85 and that’s why we
decided to carry it,” said Lynn Pistorius, Cenex Manager.
The retrofitted 4,000 gallon diesel tank will help fuel
the over 3.5 million flexible-fuel vehicles in the
country.
“I’m proud to sell a product that our customers grow,”
commented Pistorius.
To see if your vehicle can fuel with E85, visit the NEVC
website at
www.E85Fuel.com. |
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Consider Ethanol for Alternative Fuels |
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- From the Press Telegram, by Arnold R. Klann -
President of Arkenol Fuels located in Irvine, May 22, 2004
Weeks before U.S. forces invaded Iraq last year, several
analysts predicted the price of oil would jump to $70 a
barrel. Thankfully, this hasn't happened; still, prices
have shot up more than 25 percent in the last 12 months.
Given that OPEC continues to tinker with petroleum
supplies, it is no wonder oil prices exceed $40 a barrel
today.
Regardless whether the president taps into the nation's
strategic energy reserve or not, the underlying cause of
price hikes is going to remain a fact of life until we:
(a) devise other ways to power vehicles; and/or, (b)
stabilize the production of liquid fuels.
The advent of the hydrogen highway -- the on-ramp to a new
economy – enjoys widespread support among political
leaders and environmentalists alike. With apologies to
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger, the only trouble is, many of them live in
Japan, Canada, China or Brazil.
With their pocketbooks focused squarely on increasing
production of biomass to ethanol, these countries quickly
are developing strategic plans that bridge the gap between
their dependence on oil imports and their desire for
energy independence. We need to be doing the same thing in
this country.
Ethanol can be made from any source that contains
appreciable amounts of sugar or materials that can be
converted into sugar such as starch or cellulose. Corn
contains starch that can be converted easily into sugar,
so it is the primary source for making ethanol today.
Technologies developed in the U.S. and commercialized
around the world produce ethanol from wood waste, paper
and much of what ends up in sanitary landfills. The
production of home-grown ethanol from waste will create
more than 20 billion gallons of new fuel domestically.
This means there will be an extended life of landfills, a
reliable source of energy, and a price reduction at the
pump.
The cars of the future will run on hydrogen fuel-cells.
This is good news, since hydrogen is perpetually abundant
and a clean source of energy. The challenge automakers
face lies mainly in solving technical problems of delivery
and storage. Fuel storage capacity for hydrogen in
vehicles is limited, as are the practical and economical
means of delivering hydrogen in the first place. In
relative terms, the cost of hydrogen today is
approximately $15 a gallon.
If one subscribes to the theory that it will take years,
maybe decades, before hydrogen can be adequately produced
and delivered, then how much of a role should alternative
sources play today in providing a safe and efficient
Fuel for Fuel-cells?
Since there are three vital benefits to an ethanol
solution (less expensive energy, less dependence on others
for oil, and more cooperation with international efforts
to reduce greenhouse gases), the answer is simple: a lot.
Liquid fuels such as gasoline or ethanol are the only safe
and practical sources of hydrogen. When gasoline is
"reformed" to produce hydrogen for use in fuel-cells, two
things happen: Over 40 percent of its energy is lost and
carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
When renewable ethanol is used, there is essentially no
loss of energy and no net increase of emissions. In fact,
when waste is used to make ethanol, there actually is a
decrease in greenhouse gases. That's because the only
emission from vehicles powered by hydrogen is water vapor.
Present circumstances underscore several reasons to invest
more in ethanol. First, the environmentally correct
phase-out of MTBE nationwide has created an 11 percent
fuel liquids shortage. This shortfall cannot be made up by
current refinery capacity, nor does it appear any new
refineries will be built anytime soon.
Second, high oil and gas prices, which are expected to
persist for the foreseeable future, will increase demand
for alternative fuels.
Third, more E85 and hybrid cars will be on the road. And
finally, there are newer and better ways of producing
ethanol.
Clearly, the hydrogen highway is gaining traction as a
concept. The combination of Secretary Abraham recently
awarding $350 million in federal grants to energy
partnerships, coupled with Governor Schwarzenegger's call
for 200 filling stations along the hydrogen highway, is
the on-ramp to a new econometric model that ethanol
producers, like me, have been waiting for.
The production of ethanol is cheap, safe, creates new jobs
and is environmentally superior as a means of delivering
hydrogen to vehicle fuel-cells. It also helps inoculate
America against the whims of OPEC and the skyrocketing
cost of petroleum on the open market.
To ensure that the hydrogen highway is paved with more
than good intentions, ethanol from waste needs to be added
to an energy strategy mix that is technically feasible,
economically smart, environmentally sound, and home-grown. |
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New NEVC Staff Member, Kathy Frese |
The NEVC is
pleased to introduce Kathy Frese, CPA, NEVC’s new Director
of Finance. Kathy has been a CPA in the financial industry
for fourteen years and comes to the NEVC from the
accounting and consulting firm of Williams Keepers. She is
a resident of Jefferson City, Missouri where she and her
husband raise two young children.
Phil Lampert, Executive Director of the NEVC stated, “We
are pleased to be able to add Kathy to our staff.
Her expertise and experience will further promote the
NEVC’s ability to wisely use our members contributed
resources to advance the use of 85% ethanol.” |
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E85 Fuel Available in
Topeka, KS |
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A Topeka fueling facility is the first in the state of
Kansas to offer both biodiesel (B20) and E85. Capitol City
Oil, located at 4141 NW Lower Silver Lake Road, is now the
third E85 site in the state.
"This is truly a first for Kansas, “ said Robert White,
Director of Value Added Programs for the Kansas Corn
Commission. “One facility has both E85 and B20, two
renewable fuels made from the crops we grow in Kansas.
With record high crude prices, these products are
excellent ways to help decrease our dependency on foreign
oil."
The facility only accepts the CFN Network card, or the
state's Wright Express credit card. The site is designed
for fleet use, but anyone can apply for a cardlock card at
Capital City Oil. The state fleet has several
flexible-fuel vehicles.
Other E85 fueling locations in Kansas include: Kwik Shop
at 5340 North Maize Road in Maize and Petro Plus at 120
South Maple Street in Garnett.
For a complete listing of all E85 fueling locations, visit
www.E85Fuel.com.
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E85 Station Open in Mason City, IL |
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Illinois’ thirteenth E85 location has recently opened in
Mason City. The retrofitted gasoline tank and pump are
located at Fuel 24 at 1016 West Chestnut, a farmer’s
cooperative.
“Since this station is owned by a coop,” said Lynn
McKibben, Energy Marketing Manager for Sunrise Ag Service
Company, “we thought it would be a nice idea to offer E85.
The fuel supports our own industry. It uses the corn we
grow.”
McKibben also stated that the station is planning on
marketing the new pump extensively. They have advertised
the renewable fuel in the local newspaper and sent out
nearly 5,000 announcements to their patrons. A large
promotion is also being planned the second weekend of
July. The coop plans to distribute coupons to all in the
Mason City zip code which will reduce E85 $5 between the
hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. July 9 and 10. The fuel will be
sold ten cents per gallon less than unleaded gasoline on a
regular basis.
Fuel 24 also carries E10 and diesel. The station can be
accessed publicly 24 hours a day by credit card. |
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Corn-Derived Fuel Helps NETL Reach Environmental Goals |
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by Gary Martin
With
the recent installation of an ethanol refueling station,
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has begun
using corn a renewable energy resource to boost the use of
alternative fuels and to meet a number of environmental
goals.
In July 2003, NETL opened its first E85 station near B-36
at in Morgantown, West Virginia. Fiscal year 2004 plans
call for a new ethanol station at the Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania NETL site, as well as quick-fill compressed
natural gas (CNG) stations at sites according to Rick
Price, NETL Site Operations Division Property Manager.
Rick estimated that these three fueling stations will
likely be in place by next summer. Rick said that
purchasing large amounts of ethanol fuel remains
difficult. Most ethanol plants use a dry milling process
to mill corn (as well as barley and wheat), but large
amounts of ethanol are not yet available in this region.
Despite the shortage, Rick said that Morgantown’s new
station is working out well. |
NETL Director
Rita Bajura
fuels her E85 vehicle at
NETL’s new E85 location, as NETL Property Manager
Rick Price (left) and GSA Fleet Operator Dick Hall
look on. |
Of a
total of 71 government vehicles, 44 of these run on
alternative fuel. None of the 44 vehicles runs solely on
ethanol, but 15 are ethanol-flexible, meaning they can run
on ethanol and another fuel. Eight of the 44 are CNG-dedicated,
and the remaining 21 vehicles are bifuel (CNG or
gasoline).
Rick stated that some older vehicles in the
alternative-fuel fleet will be retired and new vehicles
will be purchased, with the net difference being the
addition of five new alternative fuel vehicles to the
fleet, probably sometime this year. All of these actions
support the Energy Policy Act of 1992, as described in
Executive Order 13031, which requires that 75 percent of
all light duty vehicles acquired by Federal agencies be
alternative-fuel vehicles by 2005, and 90 percent by 2010.
In addition, Executive Order 13149 requires the Federal
Government to reduce petroleum use by 20 percent by 2005.
NETL has incorporated these and other objectives into its
Environmental Management Plan to reach its key mission of
increasing the use of alternative fuels.
“Increasing the options that NETL has for utilizing
alternate fuels, whether ethanol or CNG-based, in its
vehicle fleet will ultimately translate into using more
alternate fuels, rather than petroleum-based fuels,” said
ES&H Division Director Jan Wachter. “This is especially
important to NETL in light of our environmental management
system, and to maintain our ISO-14001 certification. One
of the key environmental aspects at NETL is energy and
fuel use. This alternate fuel program at NETL is integral
to achieving our current and future targets and
objectives.”
Statistics released in early November 2003 indicate that
over the past 5 years, NETL has been driving toward those
objectives of increased alternative-fuel use. In 1999, the
NETL fleet used 1,884 gallons of alternative fuels; 2,912
in 2000; 3,587 in 2001; 5,585 in 2002; and 7,013 in 2003.
Ethanol is making greater in-roads into NETL fleet use. Of
the 7,013 gallons of alternative fuels used in 2003, NETL
used 6,412 gallons of CNG and 601 gallons of ethanol.
Rick also stated that the use of alternative fuels
integrates well with the Clean Cities Program developed in
1993 by the U.S. Department of Energy to encourage the use
of alternative vehicles. The program supports public and
private partnerships that assist in deploying
alternative-fuel vehicles in conjunction with developing
fueling infrastructures. Such programs have the two-fold
benefit of enhancing the nation’s energy security while
improving air quality. |
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Ethanol Pump Tour in Greeley, CO |
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The
Colorado Corn Growers Association and Agland joined forces
June 12 and sold E85 for 85 cents per gallon for 85
minutes. The promotion helped sell 700 gallons of the
clean-burning, alternative fuel at the Agland fueling
facility at 1607 2nd Avenue in Greeley.
This event was part of a national Ethanol Pump Tour
through AgriTalk Radio. It began at 10 a.m. when AgriTalk
performed a radio broadcast from the facility, distributed
T-shirts and other E85 materials. Weld County Garage also
sponsored the event and supplied a number of FFVs for
display.
“About one out of every four vehicles coming out of
Detroit this year will be flex-fuel. Many people just
don’t know it,” says Beth Weibert of Colorado Corn.
The E85 facility has been open for about three years.
Other stations in Colorado include those in Aurora,
Bennett, Brush, Colorado Springs, Denver, Lakewood,
Pueblo, Watkins and Yuma. |
Mike Adams of Agritalk and
Captain Cornelius fuel up with E85. |
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Member spotlight: St. Louis Clean Cities Coalition |
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 The
St. Louis Clean Cities Coalition (SLCCC), led by
coordinator Kevin Herdler, has become one of the many
clean cities organizations to join the NEVC. SLCCC is one
of the oldest and still very active coalitions across the
country.
SLCCC was designated on November 18, 1994. The coalition's
25 members include: local governments, AFV users, fuel
producers and providers, health and environmental
non-profit organizations, trade associations, delivery
companies, and vehicle dealers. SLCCC is housed under the
City of Kirkwood, which is a small city within St. Louis
County.
“This year we will be re-designating,” stated Herdler,
“with ten years under our belt and were looking forward to
the next ten.” St. Louis is also home to the very first
Clean Cities National Convention.
Herdler went on, “We joined NEVC because we believe in the
same things you do -- to reduce our dependency on foreign
oil, clean the air while doing it, and create much needed
jobs.”
St. Louis has joined forces with another NEVC member,
Benjamin Watson of the Kansas City Clean Cities Coalition,
to originate an alternative fuel vehicle legislative
package for Missouri. “We have been working on it for two
years and hope that in 2005 we will see some progress,”
said Herdler.
We thank Kevin and the SLCCC for their continued support
of E85! |
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Letters
to the NEVC |
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Letters to the NEVC -
This section highlights emails that the NEVC has recently
received. Many of the comments or suggestions that
we receive are of interest to a wider audience and we
would like to share them with our readers. |
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Is it Compatible?
I recently purchased a 2004 Dodge Intrepid. The dealer,
not totally confident, said that it was able to use E85
fuel. I looked on your web site and found other Dodge
vehicles listed, however the Intrepid was not. Could you
please let me know if it is safe/efficient to use E85 fuel
in my new car. We have a service location right here in
town, so it would be
easy to access. Thank you for your time.
Tina Hunzeker
York, Nebraska
. . .
Tina,
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, your Dodge
Intrepid is not manufaturered to burn E85 and we do not
recommend you fueling with the product. The only 2004
DaimlerChrysler models capable of burning the product are
the Dodge Stratus, Dodge Ram and Chrysler Sebring.
-Michelle Kautz
Using E85 in Non-FFVs
Keep up the good work. Here is a slogan I created for you:
Save Gas, Save Money and Save the Environment: Use
Ethanol!!!
I have been using E85 in a regular gasoline fuel vehicles
for 3 years. I find if I don't go over a 50/50 blend, I
have no problems, most of the time, 100% E85 causes no
drivability problems.
Can you give me a source or information on what the
potential damage or engine problems I can have using E85
in a regular fuel vehicle. I promote E85 to my friends to
use in regular engines, but want to advise them on the
potential problems.
Take care,
Bryan
. . .
Bryan,
Thank you for your support of E85! Although your vehicle
was not manufactured to run on E85, no problems
should occur if you mistakenly fuel once with the
alternative fuel. The largest difference between an E85
powered vehicle and a gasoline-powered vehicle is that
their computer modules are meant to read different amounts
of oxygen within the fuel. E85 contains a higher amount of
oxygen than gasoline and E85 compatible vehicles are made
to read that higher amount. When a higher amount of oxygen
is read by a gasoline powered vehicle, your "check engine
light" may appear.
- Michelle Kautz
. . .
Michelle,
That is exactly what happens, I have found the check
engine light will not come on (O2 sensor in exhaust
manifold tells computer that the mixture is wrong) if I
used no more than 60% E85, like 6 gallons of E85 and 4
gallons of regular. My 94 Mercury Tracer Wagon with a 1.9
liter engine, seems to get about equal or less gas mileage
with E85 and no drivability problems. Long term use may
cause problems with some gas line components, but if that
takes 30-50,000 miles, I don't care.
Is there any Federal laws against having gas pumps at
Ethanol plants? Should build a plant every 100 miles in
the Midwest and have pumps out front! Here in MN, the
number of plants is growing and we have the most stations
with E85.
Just wish that E85 stayed at $1.60 LOL,
Take care,
Bryan
. . .
Bryan,
NO there is no law against having E85 fuel pumps at
ethanol plants.
-Michelle Kautz
Thanks for the emails to the NEVC! Feel free to
email us with your comments at anytime.
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June 29-30, 2004
E85 for 85 cents in Alden, MN and Brownsdale, MN. For
more information, email
tim.gerlach@alamn.org.
July 20-22, 2004
FedFleet 2004: The Road to the Future is Now at the Jacob
K. Javits Convention Center in New York, NY. For more
information, visit
www.fedfleet.org.
August 10-12, 2004
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Annual Meeting and
Ethanol Conference in Duluth, MN. E85 for 85 Cents
promotion planned. For more information, visit
www.ethanol.org.
August 31 – Sept. 1, 2004
Energy Technology Expo and Conference in Denver, CO. For
more information, visit
www.energytechexpo.com.
CONTACT US. . .
Please feel free to e-mail your story suggestions,
comments, corrections or clarifications to us at
info@e85fuel.com
or call us toll free at 877-485-8595.
Phillip J. Lampert, Executive Director
info@e85.com
Randa Barker, Director of Administration
info@e85.com
Kathy Frese, CPA, Director of Finance
kfrese@E85Fuel.com
Michelle Kautz, Director of Communications
mkautz@E85Fuel.com
Roger Listenberger, Director E85 Fuel Networking
rlistenberger@E85Fuel.com
Louise Saucier, Membership Coordinator
lsaucier@E85Fuel.com
Christi Vander Voort, NEVC Iowa E85 Coordinator
cvandervoort@E85Fuel.com
You may view this FYI online at
http://www.e85fuel.com/news/index.htm
NEVC promotes the use of 85
percent ethanol as a renewable form of alternative
transportation fuel while enhancing agricultural
profitability, advancing environmental stewardship and
promoting national energy independence. |
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