A bipartisan group of Senators calling themselves the "Gang of 10" were finally able to package a compromise bill on August 1 aimed at breaking the persistent deadlock in the Senate over energy issues.

On one side are Republicans who have remained in lock-step with President Bush’s chiding Democratic opposition to lifting the ban on oil exploration and development offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), while Democrats have resisted such measures, favoring instead that energy companies pursue oil development in areas which they already hold federal leases, selling oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and providing more incentives for the "Gang of 10," headed by Democratic Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota. Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia introduced the legislation just hours before Congress left town on their August recess, in hopes it will break the stalemate and bring forth progress in federal energy policy.

The bill will require opening additional areas for development in the Gulf of Mexico and allow drilling off the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, incumbent on approval from those states. Any drilling activity approved by the states would be done at least 50 miles from shore. A commission would also be created, recommending areas for leasing in the future.

In compromise to the offshore drilling proposal, the bill provides billions of dollars in research and development money to assist U.S. automakers in achieving the goal of transitioning 85 percent of all new vehicles to run on alternative, non-petroleum-based fuels within 20 years. The Senators propose paying for the spending by eliminating $30 billion in tax breaks for energy companies and requiring that the federal government get its cut of revenue from Gulf of Mexico oil leases. U.S. consumers will receive tax breaks of up to $7,500 for buying vehicles which run on alternative fuels.

A very important element of this legislation is the extension of tax breaks for renewable energy development and energy efficiency to 2012, something Congress has thus far been unable to do in this session. Allowing these tax incentives to expire at the end of the year will mean yet another setback for sustainable energy development so desperately needed.

As with any compromise, few are happy with all elements of the bill. Republican Mel Martinez wants the bill to address drilling in ANWR and oil shale production in the west. Florida Senators object to the proposal to open up more areas in the Gulf of Mexico without the state’s input.

Nonetheless, the bill hammered out by the Gang of 10 likely represents this Congress’ last, best attempt at breaking the intransigence before the November elections.

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid said he will support the bill, though he does not agree with all of its proposals. He noted, "I am hopeful this plan can begin to break the current legislative stalemate on the Senate floor."

Over 600 people were in attendance Saturday, August 23 as Show Me Ethanol, LLC celebrated the grand opening of Missouri's newest ethanol plant in Carrollton, Mo. Members of the Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) as well as state and community leaders participated in the open house and ribbon cutting at the new site.

"We are proud of our plant, proud of our employees and pleased to open the plant to our supporters at this celebration," said Show Me Ethanol General Manager Greg Thomas. "This open house is our way of thanking the farm families who invested in an economic opportunity that creates jobs, uses a domestic commodity and reduces our foreign oil dependency."

Celebrations included a program featuring comments from the plant's board of directors, Sen. Bill Stouffer (R-Napton), Rep. John Quinn (R-Chillicothe) and MCGA CEO Gary Marshall. Plant tours were available during the open house. Attendees were also treated to lunch and door prizes.

"It is very rewarding to see this plant come online," said Marshall. "Our congratulations go out to the 560 members of Show Me Ethanol for their foresight and determination in providing an alternative source of energy for our state and nation. This once again proves farmers are willing to step up to the plate to do their part in diversifying our limited fuel supply."

After breaking ground in March of 2007, Show Me Ethanol began producing ethanol in May of this year. The state-of-the-art ethanol facility employs 35 people and will utilize approximately 20 million bushels of corn to produce 55 million gallons of ethanol annually. Dried distillers grains, the high protein livestock feed created in the ethanol process, will be marketed by Ray-Carroll County Grain Growers Inc.

"By utilizing local grain and marketing distillers grains to farmers, Show Me is providing feed for livestock while circulating dollars and strengthening the economy in Missouri," said Marshall. "With fewer American-owned companies and billions of dollars leaving the U.S. daily, it is a breath of fresh air to see a farmer-owned business contributing to this state and community."

Show Me Ethanol is the sixth ethanol plant to begin production in the state of Missouri. Other farmer-owned ethanol plants are located near Macon, Craig, Malta Bend, Laddonia and St. Joseph. Missouri's ethanol production is projected to exceed 270 million gallons annually.

MCGA is a member of the NEVC and also has a representative sitting on our Board of Directors.

The NEVC Participates in Missouri Department of Natural Resources Fleet Workshop

The NEVC Deputy Director Michelle Kautz addressed approximately 45 Missouri fleet managers at their Annual State Fleet Managers Workshop in Jefferson City on August 19. This is the 4th year the NEVC has participated in the workshop.

Kautz focused on the growth of the E85 market within the past year, new infrastructure opportunities and the new models of FFVs becoming available.

“It’s exciting to see the drastic increase in E85 fueling stations throughout Missouri this past year,” said MO Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Energy Specialist and Alternative Fuels Coordinator Cindy Carroll, who moderated the workshop. Missouri added 68 E85 sites from August, 2007, to August, 2008, bringing the total to 97 facilities. Missouri ties Iowa for 5th in the largest number of E85 fueling locations.

Carroll also noted that the state requirement for alternative fuel vehicle purchases has increased from 50 percent to 70 percent in the past year. Also, E85 fuel usage among state fleet vehicles has increased by 53 percent.

"I commend the staff at Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources who have always been large supporters of E85. It was a pleasure addressing the group again,” said Kautz.

Other speakers during the workshop included the Director of DNR’s Energy Center, Anita Randolph; State Fleet Manager Cindy Dixon (seen right); and J.P. Dunn of the MO Soybean Association.

Ethanol Truth Squad Still Needed to Patrol for Inaccurate Information
-Source: Rick Tolman, Chief Executive Officer, National Corn Growers Association

When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency turned down a request for a one-year cut in the renewable fuels standard on August 7, we hoped it would silence the outspoken few who spread inaccurate and incomplete information on the issue. Unfortunately, within moments, they were out there talking their talk.

We believe farmers and food producers should be working together, not driving stakes in each other’s hearts. We also know that not everyone agrees on this issue and dissenters may never understand or accept the facts. Yet, we plug along trying to help people see the truth about corn supply, ethanol’s impact and more.

First, our corn supply is plentiful enough to meet everyone’s needs. We are providing more corn for food and feed, and have corn leftover at the end of the year. After the 2007 harvest, we met all needs and have more than 1.5 billion bushels leftover. According to the current U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast, we will meet all needs and have more than a billion bushels leftover after the 2008 harvest. Projections for when the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) reaches it maximum of 15 billion gallons of corn ethanol show that we also will produce more than enough corn for food, feed and other uses—including ethanol production.

When you take into account the fact that ethanol production, as projected for 2008, will result in an additional one billion bushels of livestock feed, you find that ethanol itself will consume only about 22 percent of the 2008 corn supply, while livestock feed will use 45 percent. That’s a lot of corn which goes, ultimately, into food. Click here for details.

Our opponents also talk about the impact on wheat, and allege that wheat production is down, thanks to the RFS. The truth is, ever since the RFS kicked in, wheat acreage has been on the increase, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In 2005, 57.23 million acres of wheat were planted. This year, the number is 63.46 million acres—the highest in 10 years.

We remain convinced that technology is an important tool for guaranteeing an adequate and consistent supply which meets all needs. It is the primary reason corn yields have been on the rise since the mid-1990s. In fact, some technology providers are predicting that average yields can reach 300 bushels of corn per acre, nearly double the current yield.

When it comes to corn prices, consider this: The USDA’s average projected farm price of corn from the 2008 harvest dropped to $5.40 on August 11, only weeks after corn futures neared $8. In fact, corn can be bought for less than $5 in some places. Even the price of a barrel of crude oil and a gallon of gasoline has gone down.

Recently Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley was joined by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and administration officials to present a roadmap for a more sustainable transportation fuel system in Maryland, beginning with the construction of four new E85 fuel pumps throughout the state.

O’Malley’s plan includes consumer education, new technologies and the development of a renewable fuel infrastructure. E85 facilities are tentatively planned for Easton, Hagerstown, La Plata and Salisbury. E85 will also be used by the state transportation fleet; and E85 pumps will be installed at the MD State Police barracks and State Highway Administration facilities.

“As the state purchases new vehicles for its fleet, more and more of our cars, trucks and vans will run on alternative fuels,” said O’Malley. “With these new E85 facilities, we’ll continue to make Maryland’s transportation fleet less dependant on fossil fuels, strengthening the energy future of our state for generations to come.”

It was announced with fanfare. Gov. Tim Pawlenty's plan in 2006 is to make highly-concentrated ethanol fuel available "everywhere" in Minnesota within a few years to reduce gasoline consumption.

But now, with gas prices a torrid issue for voters, the number of Minnesota service stations installing pumps for E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, is far off the pace needed to reach the goal set by Pawlenty.

In a recent interview, the Governor tempered his longstanding enthusiasm for corn-based ethanol, a politically-potent product in a farm state, but one also blamed for increases in the cost of food.

Tepid consumer demand and perceived roadblocks to wider access to the fuel have been cited as reasons why many station owners are reticent to install E85 pumps, despite the incentive of state subsidies. The shortcomings demonstrate the fragility of any bold predictions on energy.

"That's kind of one of the things politicians do," said Robert Moffitt, a spokesman for the American Lung Association of MN, which helps run the E85 program. "They set lofty goals, aim-at-the-stars type of thing."

To be sure, E85 use continues to rise in Minnesota, where it has long been far more popular than in any other state. Flex-fuel cars, which can run on gasoline or E85, are increasing. And when gas prices are high, owners of flex-fuel vehicles have more of an incentive to buy E85, which can cost 75 cents less per gallon than gas.

But vehicles running on E85 get lower fuel economy than when powered by gasoline, reducing or eliminating the savings from buying the blend. Some drivers report that running on E85 can cost more than running on gas.

The growth in E85 sales in Minnesota has slowed dramatically since Pawlenty announced his push for its expansion, even as gas prices spiked. While sales more than doubled from 2005 to 2006, they increased by only 20 percent in 2007, a year when the state began offering $1.75 million in subsidies to station operators to help offset the cost of installing E85 pumps. Monthly sales are up by about 12 percent so far this year from last year.

Pawlenty's goal in 2006 was to have 1,800 E85 stations in Minnesota by 2010, a strategy aimed at making the blend accessible throughout the state. There were 287 stations which offered E85 pumps at the end of 2006. Today there are 348. About $1 million in subsidies has gone unclaimed.

The Governor had proposed $12 million in subsidies. Pawlenty Spokesman Brian McClung said the Legislature favored less aid.

“Most service-station owners remain uncertain about E85's prospects,” said Lance Klatt, executive director of the MN Service Station Association.

"They're waiting to see what ethanol’s really going to do," he said. "Is it really the future, or is hydrogen the future? They don't want to invest a lot of money and time in something which may be a fad."

There's no sure answer for the owners of T&M Express, which installed E85 pumps in 2007 at stations in Nevis and Park Rapids. E85 volume has increased from 1 percent to 2 percent of their sales.

"People just don't have the vehicles for it," said Nancy Lewis, who manages the stores for her parents.

"The automakers are reluctant to promote flex-fuel vehicles in areas where there are no E85 pumps, and gas stations don't want to put in E85 pumps where there are no flex-fuel vehicles," Sen. Amy Klobuchar testified at a 2007 congressional hearing.

Klobuchar also said some franchise gas stations have complained that oil-company contracts bar them from selling renewable fuels from the main canopy bearing an oil company's brand name, or from converting existing gas pumps to E85. She backed legislation passed last year which bans the continuation of such restrictions in future contracts.

American Petroleum Institute Spokeswoman Karen Matusic said, "We are unaware of any company which has told any gas-station owner they cannot switch to E85." Matusic added that the Environmental Protection Agency recently advised that separating E85 from gas pumps could help prevent its use in vehicles not built for it.

The blend became a prominent political issue before Pawlenty called for its expansion as part of his "Next Generation Energy Initiative," announced in December 2006.

In the 2006 election, the DFL candidate for lieutenant governor, Judi Dutcher, committed a gaffe when asked about the ethanol blend. She said, "Can't even comment on it, I'm sorry. It's like you've asked me the college quiz bowl question: What is E85?"

Her unfamiliarity with E85 was believed to have cost Dutcher and her running mate, Mike Hatch, votes in rural areas where E85 is popular among farmers who grow corn used in it. Pawlenty exploited the mistake, declaring that Dutcher was "unaware of one of the most important issues and economic tools for all of Greater Minnesota."

In a recent interview, Pawlenty said corn-based ethanol will continue to be important, but there will be increasing emphasis on developing ethanol that doesn't rely on the food crop, but on waste products such as wood.

Indiana ’s Senator Lugar Comments on American Oil Spending
-Source: Senator Richard G. Lugar, Aug. 12, 2008, press release

“Americans spent 10 times as much on imported oil in the month of June than all the investment in new, U.S. ethanol-producing capacity for the entirety of 2007,” U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar said recently.

Trade data released by the U.S. Census Bureau today showed that the United States spent $45.207 billion on oil imports for the month of June, up from $40.36 billion in the month of May and also $20 billion more than the amount spent in June, 2007 ($26.723 billion).

Investment in new U.S. ethanol capacity during 2007 was $4.47 billion, according to the Renewable Fuels Association.

“Oil imports also accounted for 80 percent of our $56.8 billion trade deficit for the month,” Lugar said.

For more than a decade, Lugar has stressed the strategic importance of energy security and the economic and security risks of dependence on oil. His legislative efforts promote sustainable energy production and use; incentives for renewable fuels, such as cellulosic ethanol and E85; increased fuel economy in cars; and clean coal.

The Lugar Energy Initiative at http://lugar.senate.gov/energy highlights not only the repercussions of America's dangerous dependence on imported oil, but also provides information on energy legislation introduced by Lugar, commentary by outside experts and information on alternative and renewable energy sources.

Reducing Pollution is Up to Us
-Source: Robert Moffitt of the American Lung Association of MN

The images are unforgettable—a huge city, filled with millions of people, with a thick, choking shroud of air pollution, obscuring the newly-constructed sports facilities for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Those who shake their heads and comment, “that could never happen here,” when they see these images may be surprised to know it is happening here in Minnesota, even as you read this.

While Minnesota has no cities as massive as Beijing, and we don’t use high-sulfur coal to heat and fuel our homes and factories as freely as the Chinese do, our large metropolitan areas do have one thing in common with the smog-clogged capital of the world’s largest nation: in both places, tailpipe exhaust is a major source of air pollution and a serious risk to residents’ health.

Here in the North Star State, vehicle emissions are the single largest source of outdoor air pollution. While our geography and weather often help the exhaust from our vehicles to blow off before air quality alerts are issued, things are changing. There are more and more vehicles on our roads. Traffic is snarled more often, and for longer periods, as more and more motorists use our already-overstrained systems of roads and highways. Increased use of mass transit and cleaner vehicle technologies helps, but can’t keep pace with the sheer number of diesel and gasoline engines, pumping pollution into our skies.

For the first time in decades, people in Minnesota and other parts of the nation are driving fewer miles and using less gasoline and diesel fuel. Use of mass transit is up sharply, a 16 percent increase in light rail riders and almost 7 percent increase in Minnesotans catching the bus instead of driving. New hybrid electric-diesel buses are becoming common sights in the Twin Cities; and Minnesota’s biodiesel requirement signed into law in 2008 has the potential to reduce particulate pollution from diesel engines by 12 percent statewide within 7 years.

Like in other parts of the nation, Minnesotans are dumping fuel-guzzling large trucks and SUVs in favor of smaller vehicles, which produce fewer emissions as they burn less fuel. With more than 350 outlets, Minnesota already leads the nation in E85 infrastructure and sales, which continue to be brisk in Minnesota in 2008. Last year, Minnesota drivers prevented more than 85,000 tons of life-cycle CO2 from entering our air by choosing E85 instead of gasoline.

In southwestern Minnesota, more and more wind turbines are going up as the state continues to be one of the national leaders in wind-generated electricity. Simple measures, such as switching to compact florescent light bulbs, reduce the amount of coal burned to keep the lights on.

As we see images of Beijing’s smog-filled skies, we should think hard about how our own skies will look in a decade or two. Are we going to continue to seek and find cleaner sources of fuel and energy in Minnesota or will we succumb to the easy seduction of fossil fuels if prices at the pump continue to drop?

As a state and as a nation, we need to make a choice now and it won’t be an easy one. Does Beijing’s dirty air show us a vision of our future, or a warning of what will happen if we don’t change paths? The answer is up to us.

Suzuki to Develop FFVs
- Source: Gas2.org, Aug. 18, 2008

According to the Nikkei Business Daily (via Tradingmarkets.com), Japan’s Suzuki Motor Company will begin selling cars which run completely on 100 percent ethanol in the United States and Brazil by 2010. The company will begin the transition by first offering an E25 sedan for sale in Brazil this coming March.

Currently the most ethanol a flex-fuel car can run on in the United States is E85. Suzuki’s move would mark a huge development in ethanol-powered vehicles, and a huge shift for Suzuki, which hasn’t had any alternative fuel-specific offerings in its lineup up until to this point.

U.S. ethanol use has risen sharply recently; however, it still accounts for a small amount of the fuel sold. On the other hand, in Brazil, ethanol is just as prevalent as gasoline and available at nearly all fuel stations.

Alternative Fuel Has Its Downside
-Source: greenvilleonline.com, Aug. 12, 2008

Mike Cantilena drives about 500 miles a day around the Upstate as a courier; and, when his gas gauge nears empty, he looks for the real thing—no ethanol for him.

“I work hard for my money," said the Greenville, SC, resident. "So I'd rather pay 2 or 3 cents more for regular gas, because in the long run, I'm going to have more to put on my table."

Nicholas Young of Mauldin only puts pure gas in his Mercury Mountaineer, too. "I put a lot of miles on my car," he said, pumping $55.43 worth of gas into his tank. "It's healthier for the car, mileage-wise anyway."

Ethanol may help offset the nation's reliance on foreign oil, reduce carbon dioxide pollution and help create new jobs, but it comes with its own set of problems. And drivers often cite reduced mileage as chief among them.

Ethanol is an alcohol- based fuel which is added to gasoline. It is made from fermented and distilled biomass (mainly corn, although sugar cane is used in other countries), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is typically sold as E10 fuel, which contains 10 percent ethanol, and E85, which is 85 percent ethanol.

E85 can cut your mileage up to 30 percent; and even E10 reduces mileage. Some experts say ethanol can also damage fuel line parts.

According to the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, more and more gas stations are selling E10 these days, about 65 percent of stations nationwide, making pure gas harder to find.

“Congress mandated in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 that refiners make renewable fuels a percentage of their total production,” said Phil Lampert, executive director of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, which advocates ethanol use.

“Last year, 143 billion gallons of gas were sold in the United States,” Lampert said. “And this year, by law, 7.7 percent, or roughly 9.5 billion gallons, must be renewable, most of that being ethanol, under this law,” he said.

U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint from South Carolina (both Republicans) voted against that measure. U.S. Reps. Henry Brown Jr., Joe Wilson and Bob Inglis (all Republicans) and John Spratt and James Clyburn (both Democrats) voted in favor of the bill. U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett opposed it.

DeMint said burning food for fuel disrupts the agricultural market, resulting in higher food prices. Graham said the bill did little to make the nation energy independent.

State law mandates that E10, which is typically cheaper than gas, be labeled on the pump so consumers know what they are getting. The label must be visible from the driver's position and be on the upper half of the front panel of the pump, according to the SC Department of Agriculture.

“But a gallon of ethanol isn't the same as a gallon of gasoline,” says Mike Matthews, chairman of the chemical engineering department at the University of South Carolina. “A gallon of E85 has about 75 percent as much energy as a gallon of straight gasoline,” he says.

David Bruce, associate professor of chemical engineering at Clemson University, says you can drive 5 percent to 10 percent farther on pure gas than E10.

"You can lose more mileage by having your tires improperly inflated or by carrying two sets of golf clubs in the trunk," he said. "We don't want to say there's not a potential reduction in mileage, but when you're spending less money, you can go farther." He says motorists are simply more aware of mileage when they have to pay $4 a gallon.

According to the U.S. EPA, E85 reduces mileage by 20 to 30 percent, though the impact is negligible with low blends.

Jay Jalali decided not to sell ethanol blend at his Red Robin and Blue Jay gas stations on Woodruff Road and says his customers tell him they get better mileage with pure gas. He says business has picked up since he put out a sign advertising only "pure gas."

Auto mechanics say their customers are concerned too; though they haven't seen any damage they can attribute to ethanol.

"People are complaining about how they used to get 22 mpg and it dropped down to about 17 mpg," said Ricky Smith, owner of S&S Tires, Inc., in Greer, SC. "They're thinking you can tune it up to get the mileage back up. But you can't. It's in the gas."

Bruce says ethanol can cause certain hoses and seals in the fuel line to crack in conventional cars which can result in potentially-flammable leaks. “Ethanol also can absorb water from the air, unlike gas,” he said, “and that can cause engine stalling, though it's more of a problem with boats.”

Lampert says using E85 in conventional vehicles can cause damage, but that every light-duty truck and car sold since 1983 can run on E10 with no problems. And Matthews agrees.

“To encourage Detroit to produce more flex-fuel vehicles, automakers get a 1.2 mpg credit toward their Corporate Average Fuel (CAF) Economy, standards on the other vehicles they produce,” said Matt Hartwig, spokesman for the Renewable Fuels Association. The CAF standard goes up to 35 mpg in five years.

“Last year, more than 1 million flex-fuel vehicles were sold nationwide, up about 15 percent from the year before,” says Charles Territo, spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. “But they make up only about 6 million of the 245 million vehicles on the road today,” he said, “and only about 82,000 of the 3.8 million vehicles in South Carolina. One reason is because only 1,706 gas stations, including 72 in South Carolina, sell E85.”

Lampert says E85 should be priced 20 percent less than gas to compensate for the lower mileage.

Matthews says consumers should be more concerned with miles per dollar than miles per gallon. "Ethanol will have a little less energy, but you should be asking how much does it cost," Matthews says. "If you lose some miles per gallon, but the cost is sufficiently lower, you can afford to buy more gallons."

New NEVC Members

NEVC welcomes these newest corporate members to the coalition:

M-Pride Genetics, Inc.
Optic Fuel Clean
Pic Quik
Texas American Trade, Inc.
Triangle J Clean Cities Coalition
United Sign
Victory Lane Fuel & Food

Below is a list of fueling facilities which have installed E85 since the issuance of our last NEVC FYI Newsletter.

The following facilities are or will soon be carrying the clean-burning, alternative—E85:

Go Green Biofuels	Little Rock	AR
Connecticut DOT Fleet Services	Danbury	CT
Connecticut DOT Fleet Services	Hartford	CT
Connecticut DOT Fleet Services	Newington	CT
Connecticut DOT Fleet Services	Norwich	CT
Midwest Farmers Cooperative	Orange City	IA
Clark Gas for Less	Chicago	IL
Diamond Shell DQ	Diamond	IL
Dixon Marathon	Dixon	IL
Eldorado Knapp Mart	Eldorado	IL
Freedom Gas Station	Springfield	IL
Ilinois State CMS Garage	Springfield	IL
Prophet Mini Mart	Walnut	IL
River Auto Truck Plaza	Wilmington	IL
Thornton 's Inc. #21	Louisville	KY
W Express	Germantown	MD
Congressional Plaza Sunoco	Rockville	MD
Tacoma Park Chevron	Tacoma Park	MD
Town Center Chevron	Germantown	MD
Speedy Q Market #203	Port Huron	MI
Speedy Q Market #346	Lapeer	MI
Holiday Stationstore #400	Eagan	MN
Ascheman Oil	Danvers	MN
Holiday #380	International Falls	MN
Centra Sota Cenex	Annandale	MN
Gas & Food	Crystal	MN
Pro Stop Truck Service	Eagan	MN
Farmers Union Oil Co	Grygla	MN
Marathon Super 7	Rosemount	MN
Bently Biofuels Outpost	Minden	NV
Worley & Obetz, Inc. Pacific Pride	Lancaster	PA
WOGO - Worley & Obetz, Inc.	Manheim	PA
Kent ’s Korner # 1 – Exxon	Williston	SC
Kent ’s Korner # 9 – BP	Batesburg	SC
Kent ’s Korner # 11 – Exxon	Edgerfield	SC
Kent ’s Korner # 12 – BP	Leesville,	SC
Kent ’s Korner # 14 – Exxon	Aiken	SC
Kent ’s Korner # 16 – Exxon	Aiken	SC
Kent ’s Korner # 26 – Exxon	Aiken	SC
Kent ’s Korner # 27 – Exxon	Aiken	SC
Kwik Trip	Grand Chute	WI
Cenex North C-Station	Menomonie	WI

There are currently 1,733 E85 stations available across the United States. For a complete listing, go to www.e85refueling.com.

This section highlights emails and letters the NEVC has recently received. Many of the comments or suggestions we receive are of interest to a wider audience and we would like to share them with our readers. Comments included in Letters to the NEVC do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization.

We’re Buying Our First E85 Vehicle

I just wanted to let you know, thanks to the newsletter, we are buying our first E85 fleet vehicle!

I’ve been wanting to get our vehicles fueled with E85 ever since I learned about it 2 years ago. I could not understand why the F-150 was available, but not the E-250 when it is so popular as a work vehicle and driven so many miles daily by so many service techs.

I wrote a few unkind words to express my opinion of their lack of foresight. I guess I wasn't the only one!

Anyway, it's on order, a little more money up front, but I'm just hoping we can get off the corn and get into cellulose soon, so we can really start making a difference using this alternative fuel with something more sustainable and less detrimental to the land.

Thanks again for giving us the heads up, just in time for this purchase. We actually had purchased a leftover the morning you sent out the notice, but rescinded it to order the new E85-compatible model. It's great to be part of the alternative fuel for America movement.

The NEVC always appreciates your comments and input. We invite you to contact Phil Lampert, executive director, any time you wish to provide remarks. Lampert can be reached at plampert@e85fuel.com.

Please feel free to email your story suggestions, comments, corrections, or clarifications to info@E85Fuel.com, or call us toll-free at (877) 485-8595.

Thanks for the emails to the NEVC! Feel free to email us with your comments at any time.

Calendar of Events

September 4, 2008
98th Annual New Jersey Weights and Measures Association in Atlantic City, NJ. The NEVC will be discussing E85 issues.

September 28-October 3, 2008
National Conference of State Fleet Adminstrators Annual Conference in Long Beach, CA. NEVC will be exhibiting and making an E85 presentation. For more informaiton, click here.

October 6-8, 2008
Eighth Annual BioCycle Conference Focuses On Renewable Energy, Anaerobic Digestion and Biomass at the Madison Marriott West in Madison, WI. For more information, click here.

November 10-11, 2008
Great Plains Energy Expo at the Bismarck Civic Center in Bismarck, ND, sponsored by Byron Dorgan. For more information, visit www.bismarckstate.edu/GPEE.