TDOT Joins Kentucky, Alabama and Indiana to Announce I-65 as “America’s First Biofuels Corridor”

E85 & B20 Stations Now Operating Along Interstate 65 in Four States

Nashville, TN – Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely joined officials from Alabama, Kentucky and Indiana and the U.S. Department of Energy today to announce Interstate 65 as “America’s First Biofuels Corridor.”  From the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, Americans now have the opportunity to travel the entire I-65 corridor on alternative fuels.  The 886 mile I-65 corridor stretches through Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.

“Tennessee has already been working to make these clean, renewable biofuels available to more motorists traveling in our state,” said Governor Phil Bredesen.  “I’m pleased to see us join forces with other states to make Interstate 65 the first corridor in the country to make biofuels widely available.”

Establishing I-65 as “America’s First Biofuels Corridor” began with a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2006.  To mark the completion of the project, the four states are hosting a number of press events October 7-9, with a final celebration in Clarksville, Indiana, on October 9, 2008, at 3:00 p.m. EDT.  Tennessee’s event was held Wednesday, October 8 at 2:00 p.m. at the Tri-Star Energy Daily’s retail fueling station at 150 Long Hollow Pike in Goodlettsville, where motorists were able to fuel up with E85 for $1.85 and B20 for $3.20 from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m.

“Tri-Star Energy is pleased to partner with both the federal and state government to make biofuels a real option at the pump for Middle Tennesseans,” said Rob Jewell, Sales Manager for Tri-Star.  “We are pleased to offer biofuels at 13 Tri-Star locations.”

The two stations in Tennessee which received funding through the Department of Energy grant are the Tri-Star Daily’s Station at 150 Long Hollow Pike in Goodlettsville and the Tri-Star Daily’s in Green Hills at 4040 Hillsboro Road.  The U.S. DOE grant was awarded to the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development who worked with the Clean Cities Coalitions in each state to establish biofuels stations.

“The North-South I-65 biofuels corridor project is a testament to the work of multiple state energy offices, local and regional governments, Clean Cities’ coordinators, key business partners, and many other stakeholders that were involved,” said U.S. D.O.E. Assistant Secretary John Mizroch. “We believe that committed teams like these have the potential to create similar corridors throughout the country.”

Currently 40 retail stations in Tennessee offer E85 and/or B20 for a total of 22 E85 pumps and 27 B20 pumps.  Several more are slated to open soon.

“In this environment, it is imperative that the state look at other energy options, such as biofuels. Today, through the Governor’s BioTenn Initiative and grants like these from the U.S. Department of Energy, we are well on our way toward making biofuels a real option for Tennesseans,” said Nicely.

E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, may only be used in a flex fuel vehicle.  These vehicles are designed to use a range of fuels from gasoline to E85.  A guide to determine which vehicles are flex fuel may be found at www.e85fuel.com.  B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum-based diesel, may be used in any diesel engine with no modification.  Ethanol is a distilled alcohol-based fuel derived from grain crops such as corn or biomass.  Biodiesel is produced from plants that produce oil, such as soybeans, as well as animal fats and restaurant grease.  For more information on biofuels, visit the Biotenn website.