UNL: 'Alternative fuels are the right thing to do'

Beginning July 1, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's 870 cars, trucks, buses, vans, tractors and utility vehicles will run on alternative fuels produced primarily from Nebraska crops.

At an announcement today with Nebraska Corn and Soybean board representatives, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman said the decision to commit to fueling the university's fleet with soy biodiesel and ethanol blended gasoline derived from corn is best financially, environmentally and for the future of Nebraska.

"This is a move that I've been exploring for some time and we have been investigating the costs and dividends involved," Perlman said. " UNL has been in the process of making this change and we are pleased and excited to be able to quickly follow Gov. Heineman's recent directive to shift all state vehicles to alternative fuels.

"We are making this shift because it's the right thing to do now, particularly as fossil fuel costs continue to escalate. Biofuels are derived from renewable resources and are produced from renewable crops that we grow right here in Nebraska."

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman on May 20 issued an executive order requiring state vehicles to use alternative fuels. UNL is one of the largest motor vehicle fleets in the state, with 130 sedans, 82 passenger vans, 18 buses, 150 pickups and 79 utility vans, in addition to 407 department-owned vehicles and a large number of tractors, mowers and off-road equipment in locations across the state.

UNL vehicles affected include the diesel vehicles such as buses, tractors, some pickups and other vehicles that operate on a blend of 2 percent soy biodiesel known as B2; vans, pickups and sedans that use E-10 unleaded ethanol blend, as well as 26 specially equipped flexible fuel vehicles that can use up to E-85, or 85 percent ethanol. UNL had been using E-10 for as long as the fuel has been available, depending on price and convenience.

"One advantage of converting to E-10 and 2 percent soy biodiesel is that we don't have to modify our vehicles," said Patrick Barrett, director of UNL Transportation Services. "Any gasoline-powered vehicle can burn E-10. The same goes for the 2 percent soy biodiesel, which will work in anything from a 1940s model heavy truck to our most modern diesel vehicle."

Barrett said the competitive price of alternative fuels today makes the changeover particularly cost-effective.

"E-10 is a better price today than ever," compared to gasoline, he said. "That makes this commitment easier and makes good sense to Nebraskans." Soy biodiesel costs about 1 to 3 cents more per gallon, depending on the market, but the benefit to Nebraska outweighs the cost differential.

Soy biodiesel is a high-lubricity, clean-burning fuel for diesel engines produced from virgin soybean oil. B2 is a blend of 2 percent soy biodiesel with 98 percent petroleum diesel. There are several different blends of biodiesel on the market, and Barrett said the 2 percent was determined as the best for UNL's diesel vehicles.

Nebraska has the third largest ethanol production capacity in the nation, at 523 million gallons annually, from 11 operating ethanol plants consuming nearly one-fourth of Nebraska's annual corn crop. While ethanol production has become the second largest use of Nebraska corn -- more than 200 million bushels annually -- this market barely existed 25 years ago.

A partnership between UNL and the crop growers is an important alliance that deserves recognition, not only because of the importance of the collaboration today, but also the future, Perlman said. Research into more and better ways to use Nebraska commodities is vital to the state.

"UNL scientists are involved in a number of research projects related to alternative fuels, and some of these projects are funded by Nebraska corn and soybean producers through their commodity check-off dollars," Perlman said. These projects include animal science research that proved the benefits of feeding ethanol byproducts to cattle in wet form, which eliminates drying costs. This results in hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefit for Nebraska. Other research includes quantifying ethanol's positive energy balance, evaluating the economic benefits of ethanol production, genetically engineering soybeans to enhance their biofuels use, identifying the optimum blend of soy oil and fossil fuels for biodiesel, and exploring the feasibility of producing biodiesel in Nebraska.

"This work simply confirms that our decision to convert to homegrown fuels is good for Nebraska, for its university and for its economy," Perlman said.

"This policy insures that the university is using a Nebraska product that is good for the environment, good for our vehicles, and good for Nebraska's economy," said Nebraska Corn Board chairman Mark Jagels. "It also shows consumers that the university applies and supports the research it conducts."

"This is a very good day for Nebraska's energy, ethanol and soy biodiesel," said Gregg Fujan of the Nebraska Soybean Board. "The Nebraska Soybean Board is thrilled to see the university move forward with the use of its state's homegrown products."

CONTACTS: Patrick Barrett, UNL Transportation Services, (402) 472-7766; Randy Klein, Nebraska Corn Board, (402) 471-2676; Victor Bohuslavsky, Nebraska Soybean Board, (402) 441-3240