Gulf Oil Unveils E85 Fueling Station

Last week Gulf Oil, LP opened its first e85 fueling station in New England to service commuters with Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs).

According to Gulf Oil officials the station is an important milestone to expand Massachusetts and New England's fuel resources, providing greater access to affordable and environmentally friendly alternative fuels. There are more than 75,000 FFVs registered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, about 4,000 of which are located within a 5-mile radius of the new Gulf Oil e85 fueling station, located at 100 Service Road at Logan Airport.

According to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, there are more than 1,800 E85 ethanol fueling stations in the U.S. E85 is also more affordable and environmentally friendly than conventional gasoline. For instance, drivers who filled up with e85 in August paid on average 68 cents a gallon less than their counterparts who used conventional gasoline. In addition, e85 reduces ozone-forming pollution by 20 percent, green house gases by 30 percent, according to the Argonne National Laboratory.

Gulf Oil CEO Joseph Petrowski said the opening is the result of two strong partnerships that seek to bring alternative fuels to the state. The first is between Gulf Oil and the station's operator Energy North and its President Ken Black who is committed to broaden its fuel options from traditional petroleum to a more varied and secure domestic source of bio fuel. The second partnership is between the public and private sectors including the federal Energy Department and Massachusetts Representation Bill Delahunt, Governor Deval Patrick, and state Energy Secretary Ian Bowles.