Gift promotes ethanol use

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Mar 22, 2005 by Michael Hooper Capital-Journal

By Michael Hooper

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

General Motors on Monday provided an ethanol-powered vehicle to the Kansas Department of Agriculture to promote ethanol in the state.

The Chevrolet Avalanche can operate with E85 fuel, which is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius accepted the keys to the vehicle Monday at a news conference in the Statehouse.

She said bio-based fuels are an environmentally friendly, renewable resource that reduces U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

Senate Bill 234, which would require state-rented or -leased vehicles to use ethanol, was approved in the Senate and is working its way through the House.

The lease arrangement between the state and General Motors was scrutinized by the Kansas Ethics Commission and the governor's attorneys to make sure it was ethical.

Ethanol production has increased substantially in recent years as rural communities around the Midwest have joined a growing trend in the construction of ethanol plants.

Kansas currently has an ethanol production capacity of 135 million gallons at six plants in Atchison, Colwich, Russell, Campus, Garden City and Leoti. A 25-million-gallon plant will create 30 new jobs at Garnett this spring, and there are plans to build other plants in Pratt and Phillipsburg.

The Energy Information Administration said ethanol production increased 20 percent in 2004 to 3.4 billion gallons from 2.81 billion gallons in 2003.

GM has 1.1 million vehicles on the road with 10 percent ethanol blend fuel capability. GM spokesman John Gaydash said there are about 4 million vehicles that can use ethanol on the road now. He said a better infrastructure for selling ethanol-blended fuels is needed in the United States.

CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTHONY S. BUSH/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius holds the keys to the E85-Capable Chevrolet Avalanche, below, given to the Kansas Department of Agriculture. General Motors spokesman John Gaydash, center, presented the truck to Sebelius and Ag Secretary Adrian Polansky, right.