General Motors and 10 States Partner to Boost E-85 Availability and Consumption
By R. Brown, Web Exclusive Posted Oct. 25, 2008
The National Governors Association (NGA), an advocacy group for governors and state issues in Washington DC, recently announced a private – public partnership between General Motors (GM) and 10 states to increase and improve E-85 access to flex-fuel vehicles (FFV). States in this partnership include: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

Under the terms of the Agreement, GM will work with leading ethanol producers and infrastructure experts, leveraging its network of dealers, plants, and its vast ethanol-related network to optimize E-85 outlet locations and consumption.

The states, on the other hand, will commission task forces made up of government officials, retailers, and automobile manufacturers to determine ideal locations for E-85 stations and identify funding sources for the installation of or conversion of current gasoline pumps to E-85 outlets. The task force will also help in the implementation of their recommendations.

This partnership is aimed at tackling the anticipated increased demand for ethanol motivated by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) which mandated 36 billion gallons of ethanol fuel by 2022 and automobile manufacturers’ commitment to increase the production of FFVs.

For more information, visit the NGA’s website: www.nga.org.