E-85 Gas Station Opens in Duplin County, 2nd in eastern North Carolina

[excerpted from WITN, reported by April Davis] The 16th ethanol E-85 gas station in the state opened on June 17, 2011, the second to open in eastern North Carolina. At the Magnolia Marketplace in Duplin County, just off of Interstate 40, flex fueled vehicles can now fill up with their intended alternative fuel. The E-85 fuel dispenser is the first one to open that's funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Organizers say it's important for these dispensers to continue to open across the state because ethanol fuel has a large potential to grow the economy of North Carolina.

"There's a lot of potential. There's never going to be potential that we'll produce petroleum in this county but there's great potential that we'll be able to grow the crops that make this fuel and that's what's exciting", said Anne Tazewell, N.C. State University.

The owner of the Magnolia Marketplace says having the dispenser open to the public is a 5-year dream come true.

Chatham Installs Biodiesel Tank with Carolina Blue Skies funding

Pittsboro, NC - Chatham County received $6800 as part of the "Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs Initiative", using it to purchase and install a 1000-gallon biodiesel fueling station at the county's garage. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel produced from vegetable oil or animal fats that is easily blended with petroleum diesel, typically at a 20% biodiesel 80% petroleum diesel ratio.



The Waste Management department began using B20 earlier this month in three of its recycling trucks. The department estimates it will reduce its annual usage of petroleum diesel by 2,500 gallons or more. The project also has a positive impact on the local economy. Chatham County currently obtains its biodiesel from Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro. In addition, the Waste Management department partners with Piedmont Biofuels to provide cooking oil recycling tanks and pick-up service at the county's 12 Collection Centers. Another recycling tank is located at the county's main Waste Management facility for any county resident, restaurant, or other small business. Teresa Chapham, Chatham's waste reduction coordinator says,

"Chatham residents and businesses can directly contribute to cleaner emissions in the county and support the local economy by recycling their used cooking oil. The oil is used locally to produce biodiesel, which is used to fuel our recycling trucks. It's also a great way to keep cooking grease out of the plumbing systems, as well as landfills in North Carolina".

The US Department of Energy reports that biodiesel also substantially decreases harmful emissions, and reduces visible smoke and noxious odors. "While our vehicles are equipped with emission controls, using the B20 blend will further reduce our fleet's negative impact on the air quality in Chatham", said Dan LaMontagne, Chatham County's solid waste director.

For more information on Chatham County's recycling programs contact Waste Management department at 919-542-5516.

NC Biofuels Center to Host Biofuels Status Report in Asheville

The NC Biofuels Center will host a discussion forum on the status of biofuels in western North Carolina on June 15th from 3-5pm at the North Carolina Arboretum (100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville NC). The discussion will explore the present status and future possibilities for meeting the 2017 goal of 10% of liquid transportation fuel used in NC coming from state-produced biofuels. Visit this website for more information and to RSVP.

Hybrid electric vehicles a big hit in Guilford County

Guilford County Fleet Services has been busy racking up the miles with their five Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles. Guilford County is the first sub-award to be actively using their vehicles under the Carolina Blue Skies Project. According to the Fleet Manager, Shane Inman, the Prius have quickly become the "vehicle of choice" at their motorpool since October 2010.

Ribbon-cutting! Welcoming new E85 station in Magnolia, NC

A ribbon-cutting event for Magnolia Marketplace will take place on June 17 from 10-11. Already in operation, the Marketplace is the first E85 station to open under the Carolina Blue Skies Project. The impetus for the project came from Magnolia native Lounell Mainor, who wanted to contribute to improving air quality in her immediate environment. Ms. Lounell is truly a visionary and pillar of her community. The ribbon-cutting is open to the public, and local and state leaders will be in attendance to celebrate the opening. 1486 S. Kenansville Byp, I-40 exit 373. Refreshments will be served. RSVP and more info: NC Solar Center, 919-515-0352 or alascur@ncsu.edu.

Middle School ready to begin 'No Idling' Program

[Click here for direct link to this story] The Center for the Environment's Campaign for Clean Air staff has been helping Kannapolis Middle School prepare for its "No Idling" campaign for parents who drop off and pick up their children at school. Campaign staff provided a "No Idling Toolkit" fr teachers and students involved in the program. Students in one classroom are responsible for collecting data about car idling at the school. As part of the planned media blitz, they will hand out air quality literature provided by the Campaign staff and explain the program and its purpose. Campaign staff has also provided the class with a CO2 monitor to students can see the differences in emissions between hybrid and gasoline cars.

Center for Environment Announces Champions for Clean Air

The Center for the Environment will honor three organizations in Rowan and Cabarrus counties this spring as Champions for Clean Air, including Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs partner, Centralina Council of Governments/Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition. The award recognizes their extraordinary commitment towards reducing harmful emissions during 2009 and 2010. An independent panel reviewed all submissions and selected the winners.

Drive Green Save Gr$$n - ecodriving training for individuals and fleet managers

An eco-driving workshop was held near Charlotte on May 25, 2011, presented by the North Carolina Solar Center's Clean Transportation program and hosted by the Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition. Drive Green Save Green drew in people like Annette Collins, a Belmont woman who was looking for a way to reduce her fuel spending. It also attracted people in the 'driver's seat' of entire fleets of vehicles, like those operated by Coca-Cola Bottling Company, various city and county offices, and a neighboring school district. The idea is that, by learning driving habits that optimize fuel efficiency, individuals and directors of fleets of any size can save money, reduce emissions, and reduce their use of imported petroleum. The workshop featured a series of presentations on improving fuel efficiency, followed by two test drives using a ScanGauge fuel usage meter (one of several options for fuel use tracking). On the first run the driver was not coached and was not given feedback on their efficiency. On the second, the passenger reiterated the tips learned in the workshop and gave the driver updates on fuel efficiency as they went. Even though the route was short, all but two drivers experienced notable fuel efficiency improvements between the drives, the largest being 7 miles per gallon! Contact the NCSC Clean Transportation program if you are interested in hosting a workshop: 919-513-7831, cleantransportation@ncsu.edu, www.cleantransportation.org.

[media coverage, Gaston Gazette, http://m.gastongazette.com/news/save-57817-gas-collins.html]

North Carolina Propane Roadshow -

On May 25, 2011 the Raleigh Expo Center was lined with an array of diverse looking vehicles, all with one thing in common - they were all powered at least in part with liquid propane fuel, or "autogas". A muscle car, a utility van, a rough-and-tumble Jeep, a souped up riding lawnmower, and a police cruiser were just a few features of the 5-hour event aimed at sharing information about autogas - its history, present offerings, and future developments waiting in the wings. But as the name suggests, the Roadshow was not just about "telling", it was also about "showing" how propane-fueled vehicles work. Several of the displays were available to test drive, including a few pick-up trucks and lawnmower models. Sadly, the Camaro was not among them, but still, the event met its goals. The Roadshow was hosted by NC Propane Gas Association, Propane Education & Research Council, Triangle Clean Cities Coalition, and Capital Ford. There were vehicles and/or displays from Roush, Bluebird, Clean Fuels USA, Alliance Autogas, the North Carolina Solar Center's Clean Transportation program, Ferrell Gas, Dixie Chopper, Blossman Gas, Capital Ford, and many more.

Announcing......this blog!

Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs is a project led by Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG) with $12 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The initiative will provide for major expansion of alternative fuel vehicles and refueling infrastructure in North and South Carolina through the collaboration of Triangle Clean Cities Coalition, NC Solar Center, Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition, Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicle Coalition, and Palmetto State Clean Fuels Coalition. Representatives of these organizations will contribute to this blog, posting about news, events, technological developments pertinent to the project mission, and work being accomplished by project partners.

Currently, 24 counties in North Carolina are in non-attainment or maintenance for National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and in South Carolina there will be projects in five of the six counties at risk for non-attainment for ground level ozone. The initiative will benefit both states by lowering harmful emissions while creating local jobs.

Funding for the Carolina Blue Skies Program was provided by: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and U.S. Department of Energy - Clean Cities.

Partners

Advanced Energy

City of Asheville

BuildSense

Town of Cary

Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (principal)

City of Charlotte

Chatham County

Duke Energy

City of Durham

Farmers Telephone Coop

City of Fayetteville

God Bless the USA, Inc

City of Greensboro

Guilford County

Henderson County

City of Hendersonville

Town of Knightdale

Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition (principal)

Mainor Legacy Ventures LLC

Midlands Biofuels

Mission Hospital System

Monroe Oil

North Carolina Propane Gas Association

North Carolina Solar Center (principal)

Omar's Garage

OM Biofuels

Orange County

Palmetto State Clean Fuels Coalition (principal)

Piedmont Biofuels

Pike Electric

Plug-In Carolina

City of Raleigh

City of Rocky Mount

Smoak Irrigation

Spinx

Superior Services

Time Warner Cable

Triangle Clean Cities Coalition (principal)

University of South Carolina

City of Winston Salem

B20 and higher now available in Saxahapaw NC

The Saxahapa General Store is now host to a Piedmont Biofuels tank and biodiesel pump, both part of the Carolina Blue Skies Green Jobs initiative. The station offers blends of B20 and higher, and is available 24 hours per day and open to the public - users must join the Biofuels Cooperative to get their card key (www.biofuels.coop/). With this opening, drivers can fill up on clean, renewable fuel produced in Pittsboro NC.

Lyle Estill from Piedmont Biofuels spoke at the opening, as did State Representative Alice Bordsen and Alamanace County Commissioner Tom Manning.