GM Works with Colorado on 40 New E85 Stations
15 February 2007
General Motors and Governor Bill Ritter’s Colorado E85 Coalition announced plans for the addition of 40 new E85 ethanol fueling locations to be opened throughout the state by the end of 2007. This marks the largest one-time announcement made by GM and any state partner to-date. Colorado already has 13 E85 stations.
Noteworthy to Colorado’s efforts is how collaboration with state government leadership is important to help ensure E85 ethanol can be made more widely available to consumers at a time when Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has temporarily suspended authorization for manufacturers to use UL Markings on E85 fuel dispensing devices. (Earlier post.)
Working together, the Fire Marshals’ Association of Colorado (FMAC), the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety, the Colorado Division of Fire Safety and the Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) were able to develop appropriate guidelines for local jurisdictions to continue to use E85 fuel dispensers until UL resumes listing fuel dispensing equipment.
As part of the partnership, GM will promote the availability of the fuel with consumer and dealer outreach. Local GM dealers will help promote these new refueling stations whenever customers purchase flex-fuel vehicles. Since May of 2005, GM has announced E85 partnerships in 12 states (South Dakota, California, Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and Virginia) to locate more than 200 E85 fueling pumps at stations around the country.
another brain dead idea from GM
Posted by: Bill Weinstein | 15 February 2007 at 02:26 AM
I think it's swell. It won't have a significant impact on total petroleum consumption, but every little bit helps. Until there's enough of them around, folks will have a hard time getting used to using E85 all the time. Until it's price competitive (slightly cheaper than gasoline, since the energy content per gallon is slightly less), it just plain won't be accepted by folks for the most part.
But, nobody will use it if there's no station to pump it.
Posted by: stomv | 15 February 2007 at 04:30 AM
Swell as pork.
Posted by: fyi CO2 | 15 February 2007 at 12:27 PM
Like we didn't have massive farm subsidies before ethanol. Like we don't massively subsidize our other energy sources.
E-anything won't mean much without BTL/cellulosic/algae/biotech, but with just one of them being cost competitive combined with workable plug-ins or electrics to decrease onboard generation demand and we will have the answer to oil.
For the techs tied to ethanol as an output, having the infrastructure in place for its use solves the chicken before the egg problem.
Posted by: APosterFormerlyKnownAsAndy | 15 February 2007 at 01:27 PM