REYNOLDS, Ind. -- At a press conference at BioTown USA last week, Indiana Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman announced a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to the Indiana Office of Energy & Defense Development (OEDD) to fund E85 fueling stations along I-65 in Indiana.
The DOE money was made available through the Clean Cities Program. Indiana will work in a leadership capacity with states not currently equipped with biofuel infrastructure to expand the use and ultimately establish E85 ethanol fueling stations from the Great [image-nocss] Lakes to the Gulf Coast.
This funding will help Indiana continue to make E85 more readily available and increase our use of homegrown energy to power our vehicles, said Skillman, who also oversees the OEDD. The strong federal support shown through this grant reflects Indiana's commitment to the use of alternative transportation fuels. By partnering with Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, we will bring biofuels onto the national stage and share resources to help make the nation less dependent on foreign oil.
The announcement was made during the grand opening of the new BioIsland in Reynolds, Ind. Skillman and other key partners were on hand for the major event. The BioIsland fueling station makes both E85 ethanol and B20 biodiesel available to all area residents.
In January 2005, the state had no public E85 pumps. Thanks to the Daniels-Skillman administration, BioTown's new E85 pump marks number 41, surpassing the 2006 goal of 40. And that number is rapidly increasing with the addition of eighteen new E85 pumps and one new biodiesel blending facility being funded through the DOE Clean Cities Grant.
Indiana has taken significant strides to increase the use of biofuels, said Brandon Seitz, energy division manager for OEDD. The state has become a leader in the production of biofuels, and now we are quickly developing the infrastructure to allow all Hoosiers more options at the pump.
The grant recipients are:
Cambridge City, I-70 & Exit 137
Columbus, I-65 & Exit 68
Scottsburg, I-65 & Exit 29
Demotte, I-65 & Exit 230 (two retailers)
Gary, I-80 I-90 & Exit 14
Hobart, I-65 & Exit 255
Howe, I-80 I-90 & Exit 121
Indianapolis, I-65 & Exit 121
Indianapolis, I-65 & Exit 107
Indianapolis, I-65 & Exit 103
Lafayette, I-65 & Exit 172
Lake County, B100, TBD
Merrillville, I-65 & Exit 253
Michigan City, I-94 & Exit 40
Porter, I-94 & Exit 22
Remington, I-65 & Exit 201
Rensselaer, I-65 & Exit 215
Taylorsville, I-65 & Exit 76
Reynolds, Ind., trademarked as BioTown USA last year by Governor Mitch Daniels, is a showcase community where all the energy needs will be met through renewable resources, according to its website.
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