WASHINGTON -- The first E85 (85% ethanol, 10% gasoline) pump open to the motoring public in the District of Columbia went into service late last week thanks to a collaborative effort by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other private and public organizations. The E85 pump is at the Georgetown Chevron station.
General Motors and ethanol producer VeraSun Energy are also involved; the pump offers VE85, VeraSun's branded E85 ethanol.
VeraSun and GM have been working in partnership since 2005, having worked with retailers [image-nocss] in Sioux Falls, S.D., Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Pittsburgh to increase the availability of both flexible-fuel vehicles and VE85. Today, VE85 is available at more than 90 stations in nine states and D.C.
In connection with the pump's debut, Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced that it is designating its rental location in Washington as an official E85/FlexFuel branch.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car's E85/FlexFuel branch will include 50 GM E85 ethanol-capable vehicles stocked with materials about the Georgetown Chevron fueling station location and the benefits of E85 ethanol.
Representatives from D.C., the U.S. Department of Energy, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture were also on hand to make the announcement.
The EPA offered support through its SmartWay Transport Partnership, providing technical assistance in several areas related to fuels and permitting. EPA's efforts will help to pave the way for other E85 pumps that are planned in the metropolitan Washington area.
EPA is proud to be part of a growing community of organizations that support and promote clean-burning renewable energy, said Donald S. Welsh, EPA Mid-Atlantic regional administrator. Today's opening of an E85 pump in our nation's capital is a fantastic symbol of the growing availability nationwide of homegrown fuels that reduce pollution, enhance America's energy security and improve our economy.
The EPA said it hopes to create greater demand for renewable fuels through the collaborative efforts of the SmartWay Transport Partnership, which promotes E85 through its Grow & Go program. There are more than 560 companies and organizations participating in SmartWay, including major truck and rail carriers as well as shipping and logistics companies. To date, partner commitments will result in annual CO2 reductions of more than three million metric tons, saving these firms an estimated $760 million in fuel costs. SmartWay partners -- including General Motors and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, who participated in today's E85 pump opening -- are committed to the partnership's goal of sustainable transportation, which includes increasing the availability of flexible-fueled vehicles and the use of biofuels.
Click here to view the EPA's SmartWay Grow & Go website.
Separately, Springfield, Mass.-based Pride Stations & Stores is offering biodiesel at all 20 of its gas stations Robert L. Bolduc, president, told The Republican. He said he decided to start putting biodiesel fuel in his company's diesel pumps when his supplier, Global Petroleum, began offering the blend, which contains 5% raw vegetable oils and 95% ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel
In 2005, Pride was the first chain in Massachusetts to sell a 10% ethanol-90% gasoline blend, he said, and we had a great reception from the public. That reception encouraged him to jump on the opportunity to offer biodiesel when it became available.
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