NGA Brokers Partnership Between GM and 10 States for E85 Pumps
16 October 2008
The National Governors Association (NGA) announced partnerships between General Motors Corporation (GM) and 10 states to enhance access to E-85 ethanol for flex-fuel vehicles.
Under these new public-private partnerships, Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin will each work with GM to advance location selection, development and usage of their E-85 infrastructures.
Under the terms of the partnerships, GM will help states assess optimal locations for E-85 pump locations. GM will work with top ethanol producers and fuel infrastructure experts to optimize E-85 supply to states and will leverage its network of dealers, plants, offices and its extended ethanol-related network to promote E-85 usage.
States will establish an E-85 task force that includes a team of state officials, retailers and automobile manufacturers to help identify target areas for E-85 refueling stations. The team will identify potential funding sources to support pump installation or conversion and assist with implementing the resulting recommendations.
In 2007, the United States used 6.8 billion gallons of ethanol, almost all of which was made from domestically produced corn. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 boosted the national Renewable Fuel Standard to 36 billion gallons annually by 2022, capping corn ethanol at 15 billion gallons while calling for 16 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol and 5 billion gallons of advanced biofuels.
More than 7 million flex-fuel vehicles are on US roads today, with more than 1 million produced in 2007 alone. GM and other domestic automobile manufacturers have committed to making 50% of their production flex-fuel capable by 2012.
Some states in that list are an odd fit -- namely Idaho and to a lesser extent Wisconsin.
Combine those states with those in the "I-65 corridor" [Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama] and you've got a nice stretch from the Gulf of Mexico up to the Great Lakes. It'd be nice if they got Iowa and Illinois involved more, but they're both ahead of the curve (102 and 188 pumps respectively).
At the end of the day, they just might get enough on the Interstates to allow for consistent ethanol refuels from the Gulf to the Lakes. Since ethanol doesn't do well in pipelines, maximizing its usage near its distillation is more efficient.
Hopefully, we continue to make progress creating ethanol from biowaste and bacteria so the corn can be returned to making corn syrup to ensure that America's waistline continues to grow with the economy.
Posted by: stomv | 16 October 2008 at 09:51 AM
Good comment stomv. An ethanol corridor through the middle of the nation makes a strong start for this fuel. And as you point out, the transition to 2nd gen biofuels, esp. waste>syngas processes will relieve whatever pressure there may or may not be on food.
According to the USDA,US annual corn crop delivers fully one half of all corn products to the world. Of all that production, 12% is utilized for food. The remaining 75% goes to feedlot grain and a balance to other non-food applications.
Posted by: nrg nut | 16 October 2008 at 11:37 AM