With high gasoline prices and the promise of cleaner air alternative fuels are being used more and more in place of gasoline and diesel fuel.  A list of  "alternative fuels" includes: biodiesel, ethanol, methanol and natural gas. Public agencies on the federal, state and local levels are using alternative fuels for their fleets of public buses, trucks and maintenance vehicles.  To encourage the use of alternative fuels the federal government has income tax deductions, many states have incentives and some private companies offer rebates or discounts. Most of the incentives offset a percentage of the initial vehicle purchase cost. There are also federal and state laws that help ensure that the cost of alternative fuels remains competitive with gasoline. The incentives for fleet usage of Alternative fuels and additional Alt fuel information can be found here.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils or recycled restaurant greases. Biodiesel is safe, biodegradable, and reduces serious air pollutants such as particulates, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and air toxics. Blends of 20% biodiesel with 80% petroleum diesel (B20) can be used in unmodified diesel engines, or biodiesel can be used in its pure form (B100), but may require certain engine modifications to avoid maintenance and performance problems. Standards, Codes, and Legislation

Ethanol

Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel produced by fermenting and distilling starch crops that have been converted into simple sugars. Ethanol is most commonly used to increase octane and improve the emissions quality of gasoline. In some areas of the United States, ethanol is blended with gasoline to form an E10 blend (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline), but it can be used in higher concentrations such as E85 or E95. Original equipment manufacturers produce flexible-fuel vehicles that can run on E85 or any other combination of ethanol and gasoline.

Standards, Codes, and Legislation

Methanol

Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, has been used as an alternative fuel in flexible fuel vehicles that run on M85 (a blend of 85% methanol and 15% gasoline). However, it is not commonly used as such because automakers no longer are supplying methanol-powered vehicles. Methanol can also be used to make MTBE, an oxygenate which is blended with gasoline to enhance octane and create cleaner burning fuel. MTBE production and use has declined due to the fact that it has been found to contaminate ground water. In the future, methanol could possibly be the fuel of choice for providing the hydrogen necessary to power fuel cell vehicles.

Standards, Codes, and Legislation

Natural Gas (CNG/LNG)

Domestically produced and readily available to end-users through the existing utility infrastructure, natural gas has become increasingly popular as an alternative transportation fuel. Natural gas is also clean burning and produces significantly fewer harmful emissions than reformulated gasoline. Natural gas can either be stored on board a vehicle in tanks as compressed natural gas (CNG) or cryogenically cooled to a liquid state, liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Standards, Codes, and Legislation

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