Entries from July 2009
CNBC’s The Tech Effect features Propel and reports on the growing access to clean fuels in the Sacramento, California region.
Propel Fuels offers customers choice at the pump beyond traditional petroleum options. Matt Horton, Propel CEO says, “today we’re selling E85 ethanol and biodiesel, tomorrow we’ll be selling hydrogen and electric vehicle charging–whatever makes sense at the time.”
Propel customers like Paul Wikoff, choose to use Flex Fuel E85 not only because it is less expensive than regular gasoline, but also for the environmental and health benefits.
Watch the CNBC clip.
Categories: At the Pump · Biodiesel · Driver Testimonials · Emissions · Flex Fuel · Green Business · Media · News Links · Propel Biofuels · Propel Customers · Retail locations · blog
Tagged: alternative fuel, Biodiesel, biodiesel driver, biofuel, CNBC The Tech Effect, domestic fuel, E85, E85 driver, ethanol, Flex Fuel, fuel prices, low-carbon fuel, propel, Propel customer
Propel’s downtown Seattle station is selected as the Daily Journal of Commerce’s Project of the Month for July.
photo by Lara Swimmer
“An American icon goes green, smells good too.
Propel Biodiesel’s Seattle station is an urban oasis. Filling up there can be a meditative experience.
If you’re green at heart but still attached to your internal combustion engine, don’t give up hope. If it’s diesel you need, pull your Bug or your tractor-trailer into the South Lake Union station at Broad and Westlake and fill up. It’s roughly the same price per gallon as regular diesel . . .”
Read more from the Daily Journal of Commerce.
Categories: At the Pump · Biodiesel · Biodiesel Production · Biodiesel Quality · Feedstocks · Green Business · Next Generation Feedstock · Propel Biofuels · Retail locations · blog
Tagged: alternative fuel, Biodiesel, biofuel, diesel, domestic fuel, Green Business, low-carbon fuel, propel, Propel customer
Not Corn…Cobs. This harvest refuse, typically plowed back into the field, is now a source of fuel for American drivers, and new profit for American farmers.
Making this possible are the leading edge cellulosic ethanol plants like the Iowa based plant currently being built by Poet Energy. The $200 million plant will make cellulosic ethanol, which comes from plant material such as cobs, wood chips and switchgrass. About two dozen cellulosic ethanol projects are being developed or built around the country, according to the Renewable Fuels Association.
Poet spokesman Nathan Schock said the company hasn’t yet figured out how much it will pay farmers, but it could be $30 to $60 per ton for corn stover, which includes cobs and some stalk. An average acre in Iowa yields about 1.5 tons of corn stover.
Read more
Categories: Biodiesel Quality · Feedstocks · Flex Fuel · Green Business · Next Generation Feedstock · Propel Biofuels
Tagged: alternative fuel, Biodiesel, biofuel, domestic fuel, low-carbon fuel, next generation, propel, second generation, waste feedstock
The United States Postal Service is a regular customer at Propel’s California locations, filling their service vehicles with Flex Fuel E85. Nearly twenty percent of the Postal Service fleet is alternative fuel-capable, the majority of which are Flex Fuel Vehicles.
The USPS recently announced that it will be swapping 1,000 older vehicles for Flex Fuel-capable models as part of a larger replacement program. According to Ethanol Producer Magazine, the purchase of these vehicles “will bring the total number of alternative fuel-capable vehicles in the Postal Service fleet to more than 43,000.”
Lara, a mail carrier for the USPS, fills her service vehicle with Flex Fuel at Propel’s Elk Grove, CA location.
She likes the lower price of E85 and that it burns cleaner than regular gasoline.
For a list of all Flex Fuel-capable vehicles, visit Propel’s website.
Categories: At the Pump · Emissions · Green Business · Propel Customers · Retail locations · Vehicles
Tagged: alternative fuel, domestic fuel, E85, E85 driver, ethanol, fleet, Flex Fuel, Green Business, low-carbon fuel, propel, Propel customer
Algenol Biofuels announced plans for a pilot algae-biorefinery to produce ethanol from captured CO2. The demonstration plant will have the capacity to produce 100,000 gallons a year, with desired cost of the ethanol at $1.00 per gallon.
Algenol Biofuels
Paul Woods, CEO of Algenol, said in a recent press release, “this project sets the stage for commercial scale production by proving two critical principles: first, that ethanol can be made economically without consuming fresh water or displacing valuable farmland better suited to food and feed production; second, that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide can be reduced by capturing CO2 from a variety of industrial sources and using it to produce fuel that can displace conventional, high carbon gasoline.”
The project will move forward in partnership with Dow Chemical Company, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Membrane Technology & Research.
Propel’s fueling platform currently delivers advanced low-carbon fuels including biodiesel from waste stream feedstocks like recycled fats and oils, and locally grown, marginal land crops like camelina. The fueling platform is designed with the flexibility to accommodate low-carbon fuels today, as well as future fuels such as algae- and cellulosic-based fuels, hydrogen and electric chargers. As petroleum extraction becomes more harmful and invasive, today’s alternative fuels are already more sustainable, with next generation fuels on the horizon providing even greater benefits.
Categories: Big Oil · Biodiesel · Climate Change · Emissions · Feedstocks · Flex Fuel · Green Business · News Links · Next Generation Feedstock · Propel Biofuels
Tagged: algae, alternative fuel, biofuel, carbon, domestic fuel, E85, ethanol, Green Business, low-carbon fuel, propel
With revived concern over the cost of gasoline and the desire for increased fuel economy, clean diesels are proving to be a tempting choice for the American consumer.
Volkswagen can testify to the selling power of clean diesel vehicles–June brought in the highest sales of TDIs since the release of the current lineup. According to a recent press release, “the Jetta SportWagen once again posted its best sales month ever with sales of 1,982 units. Clean diesel TDI’s accounted for 81 percent of SportWagen sales, 40 percent of Jetta sedan sales, and 29 percent of Touareg sales.” Adding to their fleet of available clean diesels, Volkswagen plans the release of the 2010 Golf TDI this fall.
Positive sales from Volkswagen may lure more manufacturers to bring diesel technology to the American market. In fact, manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes already offer diesel models.
Volkwagen TDI drivers are often strong supporters of alternatitive fuels. Seen here at the Propel SLU Station is the 2007 and 2004 Jetta TDI, and 2005 Jetta TDI Wagon.
Today’s clean diesel vehicles are not the smog-belching, clickity-clacking diesel vehicles you may be picturing. New diesels have quieter engines, enhanced performance and reduced emissions. A recent segment on National Public Radio, Diesel Cars Attempt a Comeback with Clean Diesels, reports on the reemergence of diesel vehicles into the American market as a quieter, cleaner next generation.
Categories: Biodiesel · Emissions · Green House Gases (GHG) · Particulates · Propel Biofuels · Vehicles · blog
Tagged: alternative fuel, Biodiesel, biodiesel driver, biofuel, diesel, domestic fuel, Jetta TDI, low-carbon fuel, propel, Volkswagen TDI, VW
Propel community members share their stories.
Sacramento, CA – Folsom Blvd Clean Fuel Point – June 2009
We met Cacee filling up his rig at Propel’s Folsom Blvd location. The Flex Fuel Chevy Silverado is part of Sacramento State’s Parking Enforcement fleet.
Cacee has fueled the Sac State vehicle with Flex Fuel E85 since Propel started pumping in the Sacramento region at the beginning of this year.
Sac Sate has a number of Flex Fuel Vehicles and whenever possible they use Propel’s Folsom Blvd pump as it is conveniently close to campus.
Can your vehicle use clean, American-made fuel that is easier on your wallet?
Find out if your vehicle can use Flex Fuel E85.
Categories: At the Pump · Driver Testimonials · Flex Fuel · Green Business · Propel Biofuels · Propel Customers · Retail locations · Vehicles · blog
Tagged: alternative fuel, biofuel, Chevron, domestic fuel, E85, E85 driver, ethanol, fleet, Flex Fuel, low-carbon fuel, propel, Propel customer, sacramento state
