Ethanol, the most widely used biofuel today, can be used as an alternative fuel or as an octane-boosting, pollution-reducing additive to gasoline. Biodiesel, a renewable fuel used in diesel engines, comes from plant or animal-based natural oils. Find more information here on these biofuels, including where they can be purchased for individual and fleet use and which vehicles are designed to use alternative fuels; tax credits available to you for purchasing biofuel or alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), and resources and contacts.

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Where to Buy: Alternative Fuel Stations

Biodiesel is available at Phillips 66 stations in Lawton and Frederick. Follow the link below for specific addresses and a directory of stations selling other alternative fuels such as ethanol (E85), compressed natural gas, and propane.

Locate Alternative Fuel Stations in Oklahoma

E10 Available throughout Tulsa Area: Murphy USA, QuikTrip, Kum & Go, as well as other fuel retailers sell E10, a fuel blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, at their Tulsa-area stores.

• Murphy USA Oklahoma Store Locations
• QuikTrip Store Locator
• Kum & Go Store Locator

Tax Incentives for Biofuel/Hybrid Vehicle Consumers

A variety of tax incentives and credits exist for business and individual consumers using biofuel or hybrid vehicles -- AFVs (alternative fuel vehicles) or FFVs (flexible fuel vehicle.)

Federal incentives typically come from the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and are good for purchases of fuel and vehicles through December 2007. Follow the links below for information on what's available at the federal level:

U.S. Department of Energy-Tax Breaks Section

Alliance to Save Energy

IRS-Energy Tax Credit Information

State of Oklahoma Alternative Fuel Incentives pdf document for download;
State of Oklahoma Alternative Fuel Incentives

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Loan Program: Provides low-interest loans to private or non-profit companies or organizations to purchase alternative fuel vehicles or fuel conversion systems.

Biofuel Blends, Uses, and Benefits

Ethanol, the 100% pure ethanol coming from the production facility, blends with gasoline in varying quantities to reduce the consumption of petroleum fuels and lower air emissions. E10, a blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, can be used in most post-1983 vehicles. E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, can only be used in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs).

FFVs can run on gasoline or E85. An FFV will be marked on the inside of the fuel cover or by a logo elsewhere on the vehicle. A List of FFVs

According to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, use of E85 can reduce many exhaust emissions. The following numbers reflect the potential reductions offered by E85 relative to conventional gasoline:

• Reductions in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of 15%;
• Reductions in carbon monoxide (CO) of 40%;
• Reductions in particulate matter (PM) emissions of 20%;
• Reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions of 10%;
• Reductions in sulfate emissions of 80%.

Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil or unaltered used frying grease.

Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide-4th Edition A guide for those who blend, store, distribute, and use biodiesel and biodiesel blends. Released by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 2008, it provides basic information on the proper and safe use of biodiesel and biodiesel blends in compression-ignition engines and boilers, and it is intended to help fleets, individual users, blenders, distributors, and those involved in related activities understand procedures for handling and using biodiesel fuels.

An accepted standard of biodiesel has been registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a fuel and fuel additive and is approved for blending (up to 20%) by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). This standard, ASTM D 6751, is what should be produced and used in blends.

ASTM D 6751 in the pure form is called B100 and contains zero petroleum. Common blends include B5 (5% biodiesel and 95% petroleum diesel) or B20 (20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel).

Biodiesel blends up to B20 can be used in any diesel engine, without modifications. It is an excellent lubricant and can reduce wear in diesel engines. However, the solvent properties of biodiesel will clean out any residue in the engine system, so check those filters often because clogging can become a problem. Environmental effects of biodiesel include the following:

• Reduces emissions of particulate matter (PM) and some ozone forming pollutants, including hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO); the amount of reduced emissions depends on the blend concentrations, engine type, and feedstock;
• When using B20, emission reductions are typically 10% for PM, 21% for HC, and 11% for CO;
• Not all emissions decrease; NOx can increase by about 2% when using a B20 blend.