Ford says more ethanol pumps are needed [View All]

[JohnWxy]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11726984/

Car maker tells Congress oil companies need to step up distribution

WASHINGTON - With millions of flexible-fuel vehicles on U.S. roads and more coming, major oil companies must install many more service station pumps to provide gasoline made mostly from ethanol to run them, a top Ford Motor Co. official told Congress on Tuesday.

"For ethanol to be a real player in the transportation sector and lessen America's dependence on foreign oil, we need a strong, long-term focus on policies that increase U.S. ethanol production and accelerate E85 infrastructure development," Cischke told lawmakers.
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Most service stations carrying E85 fuel are mom-and-pop or independently owned stores in the U.S. Midwest.

U.S. automakers have produced almost 6 million flexible-fuel vehicles. If they all ran on E85 fuel, over 2.5 billion gallons of traditional gasoline could be saved, Cischke said.

But she said the flexible-fuel cars and trucks cannot boost U.S. energy security if E85 fuel pumps are not available.

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Sen. Pete Domenici, who chairs the energy panel, said the lack of distribution for E85 is a big problem. "How do we get the companies to put the tanks out there?"

He said the government should lean on oil companies to install more pumps and Congress should follow up to "find out is there any role we have, any possible way we can pursue this, so that the companies will do more."

Domenici said he is "seriously thinking" of meeting with oil company representatives and Bush administration officials to see if enough is being done to get the ethanol fuel to consumers.

The scarcity of E85 pumps has the attention of U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman, who said last week he planned to ask big oil companies why they were not installing more of the pumps.

He said if the companies don't make an effort to provide more ethanol fuel, there would be a more "aggressive response" from the government. He did not offer details.

Here's an idea, tell the oil companies they will pay excess profits tax for 2005 OR ...they can start making ethanol (10% and 85%, as production makes it more available) more available to people who would like to buy it.

I think people would buy it like mad. You can use ethanol 10% in any car that uses gas.

HEre's another idea go to www.congress.org and email Pete Domenici and tell him you want to see ethanol more available. It's clean (reduces GHG), it's renewable and it's domestically produced. The money spent within the U.S. strengthens our economy.

LEt's start cutting oil imports now. (and you can help accomplish that without spending $5,000 for a hybrid!