New E85 Fuel Station Opens in Germantown

With today's grand opening of the Town Center Chevron in Germantown, another option for cleaner, renewable fuel became available to consumers. Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Properties officially announced the opening of its seventh fueling location offering VE85, VeraSun Energy's branded E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The opening of the Town Center Chevron was celebrated with a ribbon cutting with local politicians and area dignitaries, in addition to offering VE85 for only $1.85 for the first 185 minutes of sales.

"We are pleased to be part of a partnership to expand VE85 in Maryland and the Washington, D.C. area," said Rick Eggebrecht, VeraSun's vice president, market development. "Expanding the availability of ethanol, in particular higher blends of ethanol, to American drivers throughout the country is critical as we work to reduce dependence on foreign oil while investing in our domestic economy."

The opening of the station was made possible through a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy to the Maryland Energy Administration and implemented by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board. Additional support was provided by Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Properties, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Fitzgerald Auto Malls, Clean Fuels Development Coalition, Flexible Fuels Vehicle Club of America, General Motors, and VeraSun.

Roger Richardson, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Agriculture and a farmer himself, was present to celebrate today's opening. "This partnership and others like it will fuel Maryland's future," said Richardson. "Governor Martin O'Malley is committed to diversifying our fuel and energy supply with sustainable, clean, innovative and renewable resources. His strong public policy support, along with private industry expertise, is key ingredients to establishing a thriving renewable energy market."

E85 is a high-octane, clean-burning fuel with an octane rating of 100 or greater and the highest oxygen content of any fuel available today. Ethanol extends our nation's fuel supply and helps reduce our dependence on foreign oil. In fact, by the end of 2008 the renewable fuels industry will produce enough ethanol to displace foreign oil imports from any OPEC nation, saving Americans more than $45 million a day. Ethanol is also a renewable resource made from starch found in field corn that is having a positive impact on our environment. In 2007, ethanol was responsible for the reduction of enough greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing more than 1.5 million cars from America's roadways.

"As consumers, we have to ask 'What are my options?'" said Jamie Jamison, a Montgomery Country grain farmer and a founder of the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board. "Do we continue to buy petroleum from unstable Middle Eastern countries where 65 percent of our current U.S. supply is imported from ... or will our money be better spent by buying a product that is renewable and produced here in the U.S.?"

"We believe that the greatest potential to displace petroleum-based fuels in the U.S. today is ethanol. The excitement of today's station opening shows us the future where we can use our own country's renewable resources to produce our own domestic supply of fuel. The industry is just in its infancy -we can build on the technology today to provide even greater alternative fuel benefits in the future," Jamison finished.

Ethanol has been used for years to mix with gasoline to improve air quality. Known as E10, all vehicles can run on a 10 percent blend of ethanol. E85 is available for use in the more than seven million Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) found on America's roads. FFVs can run on any combination of gasoline and/or E85.

Today there are currently more than 70 different models of FFVs available, with 2009 models making up 20 percent of that total. The automakers continue to facilitate increased use of E85 by manufacturing more Flexible Fuel Vehicles. In fact, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have committed to increasing their FFV vehicle production to half of the new vehicles by 2012.

Partners in today's station opening, GM believes that developing alternative sources of energy and propulsion is the key to mitigating many of the issues surrounding energy availability. Producing FFVs is one part of GM's strategy to help reduce the use of petroleum and also reduce vehicle emissions. Fitzgerald AutoMall offers a variety of FFVs and is promoting to customers the new refueling station and awareness of E85 ethanol as a renewable, alternative fuel that is able to meet the demands of today's drivers.

"Making the transition to non petroleum fuels has never been more important than at the present time. With our dependence on imported oil surpassing 65%, prices out of control, and billions of our dollars going overseas, ethanol can and is playing an important role today," said Douglas A. Durante, Executive Director of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition.

"Ethanol expands fuel supplies and lowers gasoline costs to consumers. Using E85 and Flexible Fuel Vehicles is an opportunity for every citizen and every driver to take part in reversing our staggering dependence on imported oil and requires no change in driving habits, personal mobility, or comfort and safety," concluded Durante.