Grainnet

Albany, N.Y. -- Governor George E. Pataki announced July 13 that the New York State Thruway Authority has broken ground on the first location on the Thruway to provide an ethanol (E85) fuel option to motorists at the New Baltimore Travel Plaza, located in Greene County.

This renewable fuel pump will be one of the first in the state to offer E85 fuel to the public.

This plan to put renewable fuel pumps at all 27 Thruway Travel Plazas was first proposed by the Governor in his State of the State Address and was subsequently approved by the Thruway Authority.

“New York has taken significant strides in increasing its use of clean and renewable fuels, and these efforts are evident as the Thruway Authority introduces the first of many E85 fuel pumps available on the Thruway system,” Governor Pataki said.

“By implementing the energy initiatives I proposed earlier this year, we are encouraging the use of cleaner vehicles on our roadways as well as reducing our dependence on imported energy and opening up more opportunity for economic growth within the state. This pump will give motorists the option to use clean, homegrown fuels in their vehicles.”

The New Baltimore Travel Plaza, located in Greene County between Exits 21B (Coxsackie) and 21A (I-90 East/Massachusetts Turnpike) on the New York State Thruway, is the first plaza to make E85 fuel available to motorists with flex fuel vehicles.

There are already approximately 200,000 flex fuel vehicles registered in New York State, and automakers have begun to significantly increase production of these vehicles.

By the summer of 2007 the Authority plans to install E85 fuel pumps at additional travel plazas in accordance with a plan currently under development by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Thruway Authority.

The first round of Thruway Travel Plazas to offer E85 fuel will be strategically selected so that this option will be conveniently available to customers that travel the Thruway corridor.

In cooperation with NYSERDA and the Office of General Services (OGS), the Thruway Authority opened a new E85 fueling station at their Headquarters in Albany.

The site opened in March of this year and is available to all state agencies. This fueling station is open 24 hours a day seven days a week and is accessible to state vehicles that are coded for ethanol use.

This site, along with others proposed in the state, will allow all state entities to be compliant with Executive Order 142 that requires the use of biofuels.

Thruway Authority Executive Director Fleischer said, “Thanks to the leadership of Governor Pataki, Thruway motorists with flex fuel vehicles will now have the option of filling their tanks with E85 fuel at the New Baltimore Travel Plaza."

"This site is just the first of many Travel Plazas along the Thruway system that will offer the E85 fuel option, an environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuel. Coupling this initiative with the special E-ZPass discounts the Authority now offers select Hybrid vehicles, demonstrates that the Authority is committed to an environmentally-friendly New York State.”

Agriculture Commissioner Brennan said, “Governor Pataki has been committed to pursuing a renewable energy industry here in New York State. Introducing the first E85 pump on the New York State Thruway is a great start to getting ethanol into the gas tanks of all New Yorkers."

"Our farmers can produce crops that will increasingly be used for alternative fuels like E85 and play a vital role in reducing our dependence on foreign resources, reducing harmful emissions, and contributing towards economic development. Congratulations to the Thruway Authority on their commitment to helping us build a renewable fuel-driven New York.”

Earlier this year, Governor Pataki proposed a comprehensive energy independence plan to reduce New York’s reliance on imported energy.

In addition to establishing a “gas tax cap” at $2 per gallon or 8 cents in sales tax, the Governor and Legislature reached agreement to enact a number of important initiatives that will help to accomplish this goal:

The elimination of all State taxes on renewable automobile fuels, including ethanol (E85), biodiesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG), hydrogen, and other renewable fuels.

By eliminating these taxes, which total approximately 40 cents/gallon, renewable fuel will be competitively priced with conventional petroleum fuel, providing consumers with access to these fuels if they choose to use them.

A $10 million competitive grant program, administered by NYSERDA, for private sector gasoline companies to install renewable fuel pumps for E85, biodiesel, CNG, or other renewable fuels.

It is estimated that the program will support the installation and operation of between 400 and 600 renewable fuel pumps at private stations across the State, providing greater opportunity for New Yorkers to utilize these fuels.

The prohibition of “exclusivity” contracts between fuel providers and retail service stations, which only allow the service stations to sell specific brands of fuel.

In most cases, these brands do not include renewable fuels. Since the “exclusivity” contracts prohibit service stations from obtaining renewable fuels like ethanol (E85) from other sources, these fuels are not available for sale to consumers.

At the present time, no major petroleum fuel distributors offer E85 in New York State.

The expansion of the State’s Empire Zones program to provide tax benefits to clean energy companies regardless of where they are located in New York State.

These tax incentives will be available to qualifying companies engaged in research, development, or manufacturing of energy-efficient or renewable energy technologies or products.

A new $10 million program to retrofit the 600 hybrid vehicles in the State fleet to be plug-in hybrids, which allows them to be plugged into the electric grid to boost mileage.

By using emissions-free battery power, this emerging technology can increase fuel mileage in excess of 100 miles per gallon while significantly reducing emissions of harmful pollutants.

Once the State’s hybrid vehicles have been converted to plug-in hybrids, the program will be made available to private vehicle owners through a competitive process.

A $5 million competitive grant program, administered by NYSERDA, for start-up companies that are developing or deploying the next generation of vehicle batteries, propulsions systems, and lightweight vehicle parts and components.

The matching grants would be available to qualifying companies that locate or expand in New York State.

A $5 million competitive grant program, administered by NYSERDA, for the development of hydrogen fueling stations across New York and the conversion of existing internal combustion vehicles to be able to operate using hydrogen fuel.

The program builds upon New York’s Hydrogen Roadmap, a 20-year strategy to promote the transition to a hydrogen economy.

Tax credits to cover up to 50 percent of the cost of purchasing alternative fuel vehicle refueling equipment that would be used by facilities selling E85, biodiesel, CNG, hydrogen, natural gas, liquefied or petroleum gas.

Other “energy independence” initiatives adopted earlier this year as part of the 2006-07 State Budget included: a $20 million program to develop a pilot cellulosic ethanol facility in New York State; a renewable fuel production tax credit; incentives for the siting and development of an advanced “clean coal” power plant; and a $500 tax credit for consumers who purchase and install high efficiency home heating equipment.

In addition, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed a new law establishing a “gas tax cap” at $2 per gallon or 8 cents.

The State also has established the Clean Pass and Green E-Z Pass programs, which provide incentives for the use of hybrids or other fuel-efficient vehicles.

Among other initiatives pioneered under the Governor’s leadership include the Clean Water Clean Air Bond Act of 1996 which provided $55 million to establish the Clean Fuel Bus program and the State fleet Clean Fuel Vehicle program.

To date, the Clean Fuel Bus program has provided more than $25.7 million for 418 CNG buses and 137 hybrid electric buses.

Under the direction of the Clean Fuel Vehicle program, state agencies have developed a fueling infrastructure and introduced hundreds of clean-fuel vehicles into state operation.

Governor Pataki also issued Executive Order 111 in 2001 that required all state agencies to purchase increasing numbers of alternative fuel vehicles by 2010.

By 2010, 100 percent of all light duty vehicles are required to be alternative fuel vehicles.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) President and Chief Executive Officer Smith said, “We are pleased to see that the Governor's vision to make New York a leader in the use of clean renewable fuels is becoming a reality here on the New York State Thruway."

"In cooperation with the New York State Thruway Authority and the Department of Agriculture and Markets, we are actively working to make the Governor's commitment to alternative fuels a reality. The Authority’s ground breaking at New Baltimore is a sound commitment to the fact that New York is dedicated to investing in our State’s energy, environmental and economic future.”

To further support the introduction of clean fuel vehicles into the private sector, the Governor enacted legislation to provide tax credits for the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles and development of the fueling infrastructure.

In April 2006, under the Governor's direction the Thruway Authority began offering a special Green E-Z Pass Tag which provides an additional 10% discount on Thruway tolls to eligible hybrid vehicles.

Under the initiative, hybrid vehicles meeting strict emissions standards, and having a highway fuel economy average of at least 45 miles per gallon will qualify for the additional 10% E-Z Pass discount on Thruway tolls.

The Authority’s New York and Buffalo Divisions also have E85 fueling stations in operation. These sites are limited only to those vehicles issued a fuel key by the Authority.

Plans are in place to open a similar site in Syracuse. Additional plans to include an expanded biofuel infrastructure are currently underway.

For more information, call 518-474-8390.

See Related Websites/Articles:

• Office of the Governor of New York

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