Senator Flanagan And Town Officials Join With Local Retailer To Unveil Alternative Fuel Access
January 28, 2010
(Smithtown,N.Y.)-To make it more convenient for those who make the
environmentally-friendly decision to purchase alternative-fuel vehicles,
Senator John Flanagan (2nd Senate District) and Smithtown Council Members
Thomas McCarthy and Kevin Malloy recently joined with St. James gas station
owners Theresa and Brian Barton for the grand opening of the station’s E-85
fueling station.
By making this alternative fuel available to area residents,North Country
Gas station at 545 Route 25A in St. James is helping provide Smithtown
drivers with an alternative to fossil fuels. The station willbecome one
of only about a dozen on Long Island offering E-85 fuel and help open up
the world of alternative fuel to Long Islanders.
The switch to the alternative fuel was made easier due to the owner’s
ability to access significant state funding for the switch under a plan
that offers incentives to environmentally-conscious gasoline station
owners. In the case of North Country Gas, that allowed Theresa and Brian
Barton to access $28,000 in state funds from New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
“I saw the New York State grant as a good avenue to expand the
station product slate by bringing a “green fuel” to the community and
providing a cost savings to the consumer during a tough economy,” stated
Mr. Barton.
Councilman Thomas McCarthy, who was helpful to the Bartons in their
quest to offer E-85, said, “It was my pleasure to help the Bartons get
through the paperwork so that they could access this state money to bring
E-85 to our residents. By bringing this alternative to Smithtown, the
Bartons are helping our drivers save money, protect the environment and,
because E-85 is American-made, supporting our national economy. I also
thank Senator Flanagan for his efforts in making these grants available on
the state level.”
Utilized by flex-fuel vehicles (FFV), E-85 is a motor fuel blend of
85 percent ethanol and just 15 percent gasoline according to the Growth
Energy web site. It is an alternative fuel as defined by the U.S.
Department of Energy and burns cleaner than gasoline, is completely
renewable, domestic and environmentally friendly.
Typically, E85 is priced to be competitive with 87-octane gasoline
and should be less expensive than regular unleaded fuel.
This new availability of E-85 will remove one obstacle in the effort
to change Long Islanders driving habits and according to Senator Flanagan
that is why this opening is so important to our region.
“By providing real accessible alternatives for our drivers, gas
stations like North Country Gas are helping all of us reduce our oil
consumption. That was the goal of the state when we offered the incentives
to gas station owners and I congratulate Mr. Barton for taking advantage of
the program for the good of all Long Islanders,” stated Senator Flanagan.
To date, there are approximately 6 million E-85 compatible vehicles
on American roads and as of 2007, there are almost 200,000 FFV’s registered
in New York that could run on E-85. Local GM dealers will also help
promote the new refueling locations whenever customers purchase flex-fuel
vehicles.
Residents who would like more information on E-85 or on what vehicles
utilize this alternative fuel should visit Senator Flanagan’s web site at
www.senatorflanagan.com.
Posted by News LI Editor · Filed Under Politics
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