DOE Supports the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative

July 16, 2008

DOE announced on July 14 that it will provide $850,000 to support the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative, an effort of the National Governors Association (NGA) to establish state-level energy policies that will help develop and deploy cleaner sources of energy. This funding will be used to provide technical support for developing state energy policies; inform states about how to leverage their research and development investments in advanced energy technologies; advise states about how they can use public assets and procurement policies to foster the use of advanced energy technologies and practices in the private sector; increase states' resiliency to energy supply disruptions; and promote future state energy policy dialogues and education sessions. See the DOE press release.

The Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative was created with the help of DOE funding in 2007. The initiative was developed to promote comprehensive clean energy policies at the state level that use existing energy resources more wisely through efficiency; encourage the use of non-petroleum based fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel; take reasonable steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and accelerate the research and development of advanced, clean energy technologies. For more information about the Initiative, see the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative Web site.

The NGA is also gaining assistance from General Motors Corporation (GM) on an effort to expand the nationwide infrastructure and distribution network for E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. The effort is part of the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative and will enlist GM's help in strategically locating E85 pumps in as many as eight states. GM will use its data on flex-fuel vehicle registrations to help determine where the E85 pumps should be located. Flex-fuel vehicles can burn either regular gasoline or E85, and for the 2009 model year, GM will offer 18 flex-fuel models, including the Chevrolet HHR. But despite the availability of flex-fuel vehicles, the limited availability of E85 is currently forcing many owners of these vehicles to fill their tanks with regular gasoline. According to GM, there are currently fewer than 1,700 E85 pumps in the nation, while there are about 170,000 gasoline stations. See the GM press release.