TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- E85 is now allowed for retail sale in the state of Florida. State fuel regulations have, until now, prohibited the sale of the product to the public. But petroleum industry representatives are taking a wait-and-see approach concerning the alternative fuel.
Dr. Matthew D. Curran, chief of the Bureau of Petroleum Inspection of the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, told CSP Daily News: The rules limited gasoline to contain no more than 10% ethanol, back from the gasohol days, and last summer, we set out to incorporate [image-nocss] rules and put standards in place for fuel such as E85, biodiesel and biodiesel blends, and that was just finalized and became effective June 1.
John Magwood, president of Jacksonville, Fla.-based First Coast Biofuels, currently supplies a handful of private fleets with E85 including the City of Jacksonville and Kennedy Space Center. He plans to work with retailers to install E85 infrastructure this year specifically in Jacksonville and Orlando. About 400,000 flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are now driving on Florida's roads and the public is ready for E85, he said.
Earlier this year, Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture & Human Services, Charles Bronson, held a Farm to Fuel meeting in Tallahassee, bringing together representatives from many different sectors of the biofuel industry to discuss opportunity and strategy for growers and producers.
Commissioner Bronson is interested in exploring opportunities and incentives for growers of crops destined for biofuels and producers of biofuels, particularly those growing and producing such products in the State of Florida, said Curran. To this end, Commissioner Bronson is planning another such meeting in Orlando, Florida on August 30 through September 1 of this year to further this mission. As a result, he hopes to create an environment conducive for the sale and distribution of quality alternative fuel products in the State of Florida.
Curran referred interested parties to the Farm to Fuel website for more information.
The NEVC worked diligently with the State of Florida to allow for retail sale of E85, said Roger Listenberger, NEVC's director of E85 fuel networking. During the past three years, we had several inquiries regarding the establishment of E85 fueling stations in Florida and while assisting these potential vendors, we determined that state law actually prohibited E85 from retail outlets. If it were not for the assistance of all parties, this task would not have been accomplished.
A copy of the proposed rules can be viewed on the Florida Administrative Weekly's website in the Dec. 16, 2005, issue. The notice of change filed can be viewed in the April 21, 2006 issue.
At this time, there are two federally accessed E85 locations in Florida. They include those on the campus' of Hurlburt Air Force Base and the Kennedy Space Center. With the modifications of state law to allow E85 sales to the public, the NEVC will be gearing up to work with vendors to make the fuel available to Florida motorists, it said. A complete listing of federal and retail E85 fueling facilities is available on the NEVC website.
Not everyone is as optimistic. E85 wasn't legal because our state law requires approval of any new fuel through a review process. The sense I get for the change is that the governor is extremely proactive on the issue of alternative fuels, and what the governor wants, the governor gets, Jim Smith, president and CEO of the Florida Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association, told CSP Daily News.
But he added, As far as we're concerned, it's fine so long as supply is readily available (it's not) and there is sufficient demand (again there's not) to warrant the substantial investment in equipment both above and below ground. I will have one member working in conjunction with the University of Central Florida and the local county government to explore the possibility of multiple installations with some grant money involved.
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