Mississippi Technology Alliance

E85 Ethanol FlexFuel Vehicles (We like to call it the "Corn Truck")

Have you found yourself driving next to a rolling cob of corn on Mississippi roads lately? If so, you have encountered the only 2007 Chevrolet Avalance of its kind in Mississippi.

Governor Barbour named Sumesh Arora, director of Mississippi Technology Alliance’s Strategic Biomass Solutions, as Mississippi’s representative to the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition in May 2006. As a result of this affiliation, Mississippi has been granted the use of a specially customized vehicle from General Motors for one year. Governor Barbour had this comment regarding the truck, “Alternative energy research and development are important to Mississippi and we want to be poised to take advantage of growing trends. I appreciate the efforts of the Ethanol Coalition to raise public awareness on this important issue.”

Click here to read the news release.

About E85 Ethanol FlexFuel Vehicles from General Motors
General Motors' commitment to providing sustainable transportation goes beyond its ultimate vision of mass-market fuel cell vehicles. We are offering advanced technology vehicles today that not only diversify transportation fuels beyond petroleum, but will also help the U.S. address energy concerns about the consumption of petroleum --without sacrificing performance and functionality.

One of these technologies is the E85 ethanol FlexFuel Vehicle (FFV) that can use either gasoline, E85 ethanol (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) or any combination of the two. GM has made a major commitment to E85 ethanol FFVs in the U.S., with more than 2 million of these vehicles on the road in all 50 states, and will be producing even more this year. These FFVs operate on gasoline or E85 ethanol without any modifications, aftermarket conversions or cumbersome switches. In addition,there are no added costs passed along to consumers. In mid-2006, GM's E85 ethanol FFVs will be equipped with a yellow gas cap. GM will also contact owners of pre-2006 E85 trucks to remind them they have the choice of E85 ethanol fuel or gasoline.

E85 ethanol is an alternative fuel and is a high-octane, domestically-produced renewable fuel. In the U.S., ethanol is typically produced from corn and other grain products, although in the future it may be economically produced from other biomass resources such as agricultural and forestry wastes or specially grown energy crops.

GM offers more choices of E85 FlexFuel vehicles than any other manufacturer. Models for 2007 include the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza, Pontiac Montana SV6 (Canada only), Chevrolet Uplander, GMC Savana and Chevrolet Express. In Europe, the GM-owned Saab brand is making headway with the E85-fueled Saab 9-5BioPower, which is now available to consumers in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, France, Great Britain and Germany.

GM actively promotes increased use of E85 ethanol in transportation fuel and in FFVs through partnerships with the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC), the Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and the Governors' Ethanol Coalition (GEC). GM has loaned new E85 capable vehicles to 28 states and organizations in order to demonstrate its commitment to ethanol, and to educate consumers on the benefits of using E85 ethanol. GM will continue this effort throughout 2006 and continue to work with
various companies and organizations that share the same goal of promoting the use of E85 ethanol and growing the infrastructure- including oil producers and retailers in several markets.

GM will also leverage its OnStar technology in its E85 efforts by providing E85 ethanol station location information to both Safe & Sound and Directions & Connections subscribers. Currently, there are more than 555 E85 ethanol stations in OnStar's database, with plans to update the database six times a year.

For more information on GM's alternative fuel products, please visit www.livegreengoyellow.com.

For more information about the Governors' Ethanol Coalition, visit www.ethanol-gec.org.

The benefits of E85 Ethanol

Ethanol, the major component of E85 ethanol, is a renewable fuel.
Using E85 ethanol helps reduce greenhousegas emissions.
Using E85 ethanol helps reduce dependence on petroleum and creates greater diversity in our energy sources and supplies.
E85 ethanol has the ability to help vehicle performance because It has a higher octane rating than gasoline which allows for more horsepower and torque.
Using E85 ethanol helps reduce smog forming emissions.
Using E85 ethanol can help support the domestic agriculture industry in the U.S.

Studies and Presentations

Current Projects in Mississippi

The SBS is working with multiple groups within the government, private and higher education sectors throughout the state to study the effects of an ethanol industry within the state that uses Mississippi resources. The groups include members from the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. We are also working with a variety of ownership groups ranging from farmer owned co-operatives to private investors.

A feasibility study has been commissioned and negotiations are underway to coordinate the project. The study will contain two separate parts:

Examine the economic dynamics of the entire State of Mississippi and the optimal structure for an ethanol plant.
Examine how ethanol will apply to specific regions in Mississippi and specific ethanol industry groups. For example, the study may conclude the general proforma range of price spikes after a plant is implemented, the optimal plant size to capitalize on economies of scale for the general environment within Mississippi and other important revenue and cost implications due to the economic impact by creating an ethanol industry within Mississippi. The sections of the study funded by the owner groups will deal with specific sites particular to the contending group; thus this part will be proprietary and not included within the general study.

Legislative Efforts for Ethanol

State
The Mississippi State Legislature recently passed House Bill 1130, which outlines a 20-cent per gallon producer payment to ethanol producers. It also includes other benefits and regulations to the industry.

Federal
Congress is currently negotiating the terms of the "Energy Policy Act of 2002 (H.R. 4)," which may include certain provisions pertaining to ethanol production in the U.S.

Administration
President George W. Bush included language concerning ethanol production in his 2001 National Energy Policy Report.