Forum on E85 Ethanol Held at CTR
August 2007
Karl Doenges, Sr. Vice President of Clean Fuel USA
CTR hosted an E85 Ethanol Forum in August, where representatives of E85 initiatives presented information on the use of biofuel for use in consumer vehicles. The forums, which are sponsored by General Motors Corporation, are being presented in conjunction with discounted E85 fuel sales in selected locations.
Speakers included Ms. Mary Beth Stanek, Director of the Environment, Energy and Safety Policy Division of General Motors (GM); Mr. Robert White, Director of Operations at the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC); and Mr. Karl Doenges, Sr. Vice President of Clean Fuel USA.
E85 fuel is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline and is defined as an alternative fuel by the U.S. Department of Energy. E85 is one of various initiatives under consideration by government and corporate entities in an effort to reduce the quantity of petroleum used as fuel.
Ethanol, produced by the fermentation of plant sugars, is typically derived from corn and other grain products, although other biomass resources such as agricultural and forestry waste or crops are under consideration as raw material.
GM representative Mary Beth Stane gives a presentation on E85 ethanol fuel.
CTR’s Deputy Director, Mr. Robert Harrison, introduced the speakers and UT professor Ron Mathews, who noted that UT has been involved in ethanol research for some time. In the summer of 2000, a team of Dr. Mathews’ mechanical engineering students modified a vehicle to burn ethanol-based fuel, and entered the Ethanol Vehicle Challenge. The students won in several categories of the Canada-based event. (Read more…)
Ms. Stanek presented a broad outline of GM’s E85 product plans and its promotion efforts for the use of E85 fuel. GM is working with state agencies, including the Texas Department of Transportation, and fuel providers, including HEB Groceries, to make E85 fuel available to Texas consumers. Stanek compared the “negative energy costs” associated with producing E85 fuel versus similar costs related to the production of petroleum fuels, stating that GM considers E85 to be a “very green” product. She explained that GM began E85 conversion efforts with its largest vehicles — trucks and SUVs — but that within five years GM plans for many of their vehicles to be equipped to utilize E85 fuel. Stanek pointed out that E85 ethanol is a part of GM’s global energy strategy for a mix of technologies. Four new hybrid vehicles are planned for a rollout next year and plug-ins hybrids with E-flex systems are currently in development.
Mr. Doenges discussed the technical aspects of E85 fuel and its regulation. He said that setting up an initial infrastructure to foster development of production, distribution, and delivery was a complex process. Appropriate implementation of current regulations could lower the cost of E85 fuel. For example, Doenges described a scenario where local stations purchased blending equipment and blended ethanol and petroleum on site. This would qualify the station for a tax reduction that could be passed in part to the consumer in the form of lowered E85 fuel costs. Such strategies could bring E85 into closer competition with standard fuels.
Mr. White gave a presentation on the current state of the ethanol industry and the ethanol promotion initiatives being conducted by Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), an organization based in Florida.
White said that EPIC’s role with E85 is to help to create a market by increasing its visibility. Ethanol-based fuels caught the public’s eye recently when racecars, running 100 percent ethanol, clocked speeds of 225 MPH in the IndyCar Series.
Asked when the larger petroleum-based fuel companies might become interested in providing E85 fuel, forum representatives said that companies such as Shell and Texaco are watching for the price for E85 to become competitive. If customer demand for the product increases, the larger companies are likely to provide E85 fuel.
Links for more information:
“E85 Ethanol: Live Green, Go Yellow” on General Motors Web site
http://www.gm.com/company/onlygm/energy/index.html?seo=goo_lggy
CleanFuel USA, Tomorrow's Fuels Today
http://www.cleanfuelusa.com/
EPIC: Ethanol Promotion and Information Council
http://www.epicinfo.org/
IndyCar Series
Link: http://www.indycar.com/tech/ethanol.php
National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition
http://www.e85fuel.com/
The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition is an advocacy group promoting the use of 85% ethanol as a form of alternative transportation fuel.
Austin Biofuels
http://www.austinbiofuels.com/
An Austin Texas biodiesel fuel company.
To contact representatives from the forum:
Mary Beth Stanek
Director of the Environment, Energy and Safety Policy Division of General Motors
mary.b.stanek@gm.com
Robert N. Minton
Communications Manager
General Motors
robert.minton@gm.com
Karl Doenges
Sr. Vice President
Clean Fuel USA
karl@cleanfuelusa.com
Robert White
Director of Operations
Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC)
rwhite@EPICinfo.org
Local sales representatives in attendance from Covert Chevy-Pontiac-Buick-GMC in Bastrop, Texas: Fred “Gus” Gustafson, 512-694-8488; Robby Turner, 512-913-6088; and Chris Cook, 512-581-6503, chriscook@covertauto.com.