Governor Pataki Announces Groundbreaking of First Ethanol Fuel Service Location on the Thruway

Governor Pataki has announced that the New York State Thruway Authority has broken ground on the first location on the Thruway to provide an ethanol (E85) fuel option to motorists at the New Baltimore Travel Plaza, located in Greene County. This renewable fuel pump will be one of the first in the state to offer E85 fuel to the public.

This plan to put renewable fuel pumps at all 27 Thruway Travel Plazas was first proposed by the Governor in his State of the State Address and was subsequently approved by the Thruway Authority.

"New York has taken significant strides in increasing its use of clean and renewable fuels, and these efforts are evident as the Thruway Authority introduces the first of many E85 fuel pumps available on the Thruway system," Governor Pataki said. "By implementing the energy initiatives I proposed earlier this year, we are encouraging the use of cleaner vehicles on our roadways as well as reducing our dependence on imported energy and opening up more opportunity for economic growth within the state. This pump will give motorists the option to use clean, homegrown fuels in their vehicles."

The New Baltimore Travel Plaza, located in Greene County between Exits 21B (Coxsackie) and 21A (I-90 East/Massachusetts Turnpike) on the New York State Thruway, is the first plaza to make E85 fuel available to motorists with flex fuel vehicles. There are already approximately 200,000 flex fuel vehicles registered in New York State, and automakers have begun to significantly increase production of these vehicles. By the summer of 2007 the Authority plans to install E85 fuel pumps at additional travel plazas in accordance with a plan currently under development by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Thruway Authority.

In April 2006, the Thruway Authority began offering a special Green E-Z Pass Tag which provides an additional 10% discount on Thruway tolls to eligible hybrid vehicles. Under the initiative, hybrid vehicles meeting strict emissions standards, and having a highway fuel economy average of at least 45 miles per gallon will qualify for the additional 10% E-Z Pass discount on Thruway tolls.

E85 is an alternative transportation fuel made from a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Only about 500 of the more than 180,000 fuel stations in the United States currently offer E85.