Awake at the Wheel

A “perfect storm” of business factors essentially prevent existing fuel retailers from selling E-85, CNG or high blend biodiesel (B20 and above). With upwards of 70% of diesel vehicles filling up at public fueling outlets, this is a problem for biodiesel. Propel is working hard to solve this problem. In the absence of start-up alternative fuel retailers, we’ll have only the government to build retail networks. Do you really want the government supplying your vehicle fuel?

From EnergyWashington

A legislative proposal being developed by the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition (GEC) would have the federal government focus its E-85 infrastructure development initiatives on three metropolitan regions in order to coordinate the availability of the alcohol fuel and the vehicles capable of burning it. In a discussion draft of proposals for the 110th Congress obtained by EnergyWashington, the GEC sees the targeted strategy as a “rapid means of building sustained consumer support for [ethanol] producers.” A state official working with the GEC said the strategy addresses what is widely viewed as the haphazard development of E-85 infrastructure.

Biodiesel has the largest installed base of alt-fuel capable vehicles. Diesels are the Ultimate Flex-Fuel vehicles- totally backwards compatible. After 25 years of ethanol availability, E-85 is still a non-factor for the vast majority of US drivers. As it stands, we’re relying on Big Oil and Big Government to solve the most pressing issue facing our nation: Petroleum dependence. Both of these monolithic entities have much to gain from continuing the status quo.