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"Illinois has been a leader in expanding the use of E-85 and
biodiesel," Blagojevich said. "These
homegrown fuels help make us less dependent on imported oil, create
jobs, help farmers and protect our environment. And our success at
expanding our energy independence for state government shows that
there is significant potential for our state as a whole. By
harnessing Illinois' own rich natural resources, we can become the
first state to replace 50 percent of our fuel supply with homegrown
alternatives like ethanol and biodiesel by 2017."
Signed on April 12, 2004, Executive Order 7 directed state
agencies and employees to use biofuels whenever possible and
directed state purchasing experts to prioritize flexible-fuel
vehicles in fleet vehicle purchases. The governor's action has
helped spur new consumer markets for the fuels, as exhibited by the
rapid spread of E-85 fueling stations across the state; when the
executive order was signed, there were 25 stations, and today there
are about 130. Additionally, 77 percent of all fleet vehicles
purchased since the governor signed the executive order have been
flexible-fuel vehicles.
The Illinois Department of Central Management Services procures
both fuel and vehicles for Illinois government agencies.
Flexible-fuel vehicles in the state's motor vehicle fleet can use
E-85 -- the advanced hybrid of ethanol composed of 85 percent
ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Biodiesel -- made from soybeans --
is predominantly used in Illinois Department of Transportation
trucks for road construction, clearing and maintenance.
As a result of this executive order, an unprecedented amount of
biofuels was consumed, both at gas stations throughout the state and
at state-operated fueling stations. Since April 2005, when the state
started tracking use of renewable fuels:
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State agencies used 122,441 gallons of E-85, with a monthly
average of more than 8,100 gallons.
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State agencies used 906,341 gallons of biodiesel fuel, or more
than 60,000 gallons per month.
Since the executive order was signed, state government has
prioritized the purchase of flexible-fuel vehicles:
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More than 400 of the 700 vehicles state agencies purchased last
year were flexible-fuel vehicles.
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As a result, 1,944 vehicles -- a full 16 percent of the state's
12,100-vehicle fleet -- can now run on E-85.
"Governor Blagojevich asked CMS to use the state's motor vehicle
fleet as an incubator for Illinois-produced fuels, for new ideas and
new technologies," said Paul Campbell, director of Central
Management Services. "Our fleet has been an incredible tool to help
spur demand for biofuels, and now state residents can join us in
powering their vehicles with fuel from Illinois-grown corn and
soybeans."
Blagojevich's commitment to biofuels and flexible-fuel vehicles
has made Illinois government a national leader, as recently
recognized by Automotive Fleet Magazine, for operating the largest
E-85 passenger fleet in Illinois, and the 18th-largest flexible-fuel
fleet in the country. Additionally, last fall the National
Conference of State Fleet Administrators presented the state with
the 2005 Honda Environmental Leadership Award, which recognized
outstanding achievement in improving environmental quality through
fleet management.
"Early in his administration, Governor Blagojevich made a
commitment to support biofuels, and he led by example by making E-85
an important part of the state's fleet operations," said Rod Weinzierl, president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association.
"Given that the Illinois government has the largest fleet of
flexible-fuel vehicles in the state, this commitment has helped to
exponentially increase availability for E-85 statewide."
"Governor Blagojevich's commitment to renewable fuels reinforces
the importance of identifying cleaner-burning, renewable sources for
our energy needs," said George Dixon, chair of the Illinois Soybean
Association. "The fact that this need can be met by a product grown
right here in Illinois, with biodiesel made from soybeans, is a
win-win scenario. Illinois leads the nation in biodiesel
consumption, and this executive order is one of the reasons."
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Central Management Services and the Illinois Department of
Transportation are providing biodiesel fuel at all 84 of the state's
fueling stations whenever available from suppliers, and state
fueling locations in Springfield, Chicago, Carbondale and
Edwardsville now offer E-85 and biodiesel. A full list of stations
that offer E-85 to consumers is available at
www.illinoisgreenfleets.org.
Executive Order 7 in 2004 built upon Blagojevich's challenge to
Central Management Services to better manage the state's motor
vehicle fleet. In signing Executive Order 2 in 2003, the governor
made an important commitment to ensure greater transparency,
heighten accountability and achieve cost savings in the management
of its fleet. These efforts eliminated 1,600 underused vehicles,
generated $1.1 million from selling the unneeded vehicles, and
reduced overall fuel and maintenance costs by more than $5.3 million
in fiscal 2004 and 2005 alone. Altogether, the state saved more than
$17.1 million through its fleet efficiency initiatives, as validated
by Deloitte Consulting.
Last month, the governor unveiled a comprehensive long-term
energy plan to replace Illinois' dependence on foreign oil with
homegrown alternatives. The plan will help free consumers from the
grip of foreign oil and gas interests by giving drivers and
homeowners alternatives to the high cost of gasoline, stabilize
energy prices, give Illinois farmers new markets for their crops,
and create 30,000 new jobs. The governor's plan sets a goal of
replacing 50 percent of the state's energy supply with homegrown
fuels by 2017. Illinois would be the first state to reach this level
of energy independence.
Blagojevich's comprehensive long-term energy plan to replace
Illinois' dependence on foreign oil with homegrown alternatives
would provide new incentives to help triple Illinois' production of
ethanol and other biofuels and build up to 10 new coal gasification
plants to convert Illinois coal into natural gas, diesel fuel and
electricity.
The plan also includes construction of a pipeline from central to
southeastern Illinois to transport carbon dioxide produced by new
energy plants to where it can be pumped underground to extract more
oil and gas that sits underground in Illinois. Trapping carbon
dioxide underground will permanently prevent this greenhouse gas
from being emitted into the atmosphere. The plan calls for a
dramatic expansion of renewable energy production as well as
significant reductions in energy use through investments in energy
efficiency and conservation.
Specifically, the governor's plan will:
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Invest in renewable biofuels by providing financial incentives to
build up to 20 new ethanol plants and five new biodiesel plants.
These increases in ethanol and biofuels production would allow
Illinois to replace 50 percent of its current supply of imported oil
with renewable homegrown biofuels.
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Increase the number of gas stations that sell biofuels, so that all
gas stations offer 85 percent ethanol fuel by 2017, and help the
auto industry to produce more and better flexible-fuel vehicles that
can run on either E-85 or regular gasoline.
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Invest $775 million to help build up to 10 new coal gasification
plants that use Illinois coal to meet 25 percent of Illinois' diesel
fuel needs, 25 percent of natural gas needs and 10 percent of
electricity needs by 2017.
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Build a pipeline to move carbon dioxide captured from coal
gasification plants to oil fields in southeastern Illinois to
extract more oil and natural gas and permanently store the carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas, underground.
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Meet 10 percent of the state's electricity needs from renewable
energy sources by 2015 and greatly boost investment in energy
efficiency, while finding ways to cut emissions and reduce motor
fuel consumption by 10 percent in 2017.
[News release from the governor's
office] |
