To help improve the nation’s energy security and diversify its transportation fuel supply, the National Governors Association (NGA) recently 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, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin will each work with GM to advance location selection, development and usage of their state’s E-85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline) infrastructure.
“Improving the use of clean, domestically grown biofuels like ethanol will help move us toward a cleaner, more secure energy future,” said John Thomasian, director of the NGA Center for Best Practices.
“The infrastructure for E-85 needs to expand now if the nation is to be ready for the significant growth in ethanol coming from new cellulosic and biomass sources,” said Beth Lowery, GM vice president of environment, energy and safety policy. “We need a range of alternatives to offset growing oil demand in this country and globally.”
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 and offices and its extended ethanol-related network to promote E-85 usage.
