Alternative Fuels Coming Soon to Alabama Motorists on I-65

Grant will also bring alternative fuels to Corridor X and Corridor V

VESTAVIA HILLS – Motorists traveling on Interstate 65 in Alabama will soon have the opportunity to fill up their vehicles on cleaner burning fuels produced in America, Alabama Governor Bob Riley announced at a gas station in Vestavia Hills.

And with a new federal grant, the same opportunity will come to motorists traveling along Corridor X and Corridor V, Governor Riley said.

The Governor announced that service stations in four cities – Athens, Cullman, Vestavia Hills and Mobile – are scheduled to have pumps installed within the next eight months so cleaner burning alternative fuels E85 and B20 biodiesel can be made commercially available to the public.

“These cleaner, more secure American sources of energy are going to be available to most Alabamians for the very first time,” said Governor Riley. “Alternative fuels are not only better for our natural environment, they also help make us more energy independent. They open up new markets for our farmers. This is a win-win situation, and Alabamians can be proud of the steps our state is taking as America searches for a more secure, less dependent energy future.”

The commercially available alternative fuels are possible due to a federal grant Alabama received last year from the U.S. Department of Energy. That grant for $312,000 is being used to add the alternative fuel pumps at Alabama gas stations along I-65. The Department of Energy grant covers up to 50 percent of the cost for a retailer to add the infrastructure necessary to offer the alternative fuels.

Governor Riley also took the occasion to announce the state is receiving a second federal grant so up to 30 service stations along Corridor X and Corridor V can offer B20 biodiesel to motorists. This grant for $112,500 comes from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission will be used to provide up to $2,500 per station for modification of existing fueling infrastructure, or the purchase and installation of new fueling infrastructure dedicated to the delivery of alternative fuels.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) partnered with the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition to select the service stations where alternative fuel pumps will be added.

“With record high oil prices this week, Alabama motorists will soon have the opportunity to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by having American produced renewable fuels, E85 ethanol and B20 Biodiesel, available at retail service stations in Alabama,” said Mark Bentley, Executive Director of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition. “Alabama is emerging as a leader in the area of alternative fuels, from the research that is being done at our land grant universities, to the role the private sector is playing in producing alternative fuels, to increased accessibility of these cleaner-burning fuels like the announcement made by Governor Riley today. With these grants, our Coalition looks forward to working with ADECA, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and other State and Federal organizations to bring our ‘Alabama Clean Corridors’ program to other highways in the state.”

One station where the alternative fuel pumps will be installed is the Shell station at 1488 Montgomery Highway in Vestavia Hills (expected to be installed by July). Three other stations that are being built will also make the alternative fuels available to the public: 1700 Highway 72 East in Athens (expected to be installed by April); 371 Super Saver Road at the junction of State Highway 69 and I-65 in Cullman (expected to be installed by April); and a location to be determined at I-10 and I-65 in Mobile (expected to be installed by April).

E85 is a cleaner burning mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The fuel can be used in “flex fuel” vehicles that are capable of running on either E85 or conventional gasoline. Most flex fuel vehicles have an indicator near the gas cap and all have an E85 indicator contained within their Vehicle Identification Number.

Biodiesel is produced from soybean and other crops that produce oil and can be used in conventional compression-ignition engines like diesels without engine modifications.

The Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition is a nonprofit organization whose primary goals are to expand alternative fuel use and to serve as an alternative fuel educational resource in the state.

Source: Alabama Governor

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