- By Wendy Skinner
- Around Town
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Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, the Ithaca City School District, Tompkins County, Cornell University, and other not-for-profit and public sector buyers have sent word to New York State that they will commit to a total purchase of 561,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel. The commitment will allow the state to bid out procurement of the fuel, which has not previously been available in Tompkins County.
Ethan Rainwater (Cornell ’06), who is interning with Cornell’s sustainability coordinator, did background research and then invited key users of bulk fuel to a meeting where the basic facts about buying and using biodiesel were explained. Rainwater’s persistence led to the two-year purchase commitment, starting in August 2007. The fuel that will be purchased is a blend of 95 percent petroleum diesel and 5 percent soy-based fuel. Known as B5, the blend is less widely available than regular diesel and costs more per gallon.
“We won’t know until the state bid comes in exactly how much more the B5 will cost, but we’ve been told that a large commitment will help lower the overall per-gallon price for everyone,” said TCAT’s general manager Joe Turcotte. Each of the buyers is willing to pay more for the cleaner fuel, in recognition of the environmental benefits, said Rainwater. State sources report an expected price premium of an additional 10 to 20 cents per gallon, but similar efforts elsewhere have brought the price down.
Biodiesel can be purchased through the state as a 5 percent or 20 percent blend. At this time, the 5 percent blend is easier to incorporate because it does not require separate or new storage tanks, is not cold-sensitive, and – unlike 100 percent biofuel – does not require engine conversion. “B5 is a comfortable way to start a transition, and working together makes changes like this one easier for everyone,” said Rainwater.
Cornell Farm Services has been successfully using B20 in all their vehicles since the summer and plans to continue using the fuel over the winter months. This pilot project paved the way for greater biodiesel use in the community. The Cornell Facilities Services fueling station, where many university departments get their diesel, will offer B5 next year. Cornell’s Grounds Department and Transportation and Mail Services are the biggest diesel users at this facility and leaders in making the switch, said Rainwater.
The buyers who have committed to buying B5 biodiesel fuel are:
- TCAT, 200,000 gallons per year
- Ithaca City School District, 178,000 gallons per year
- Tompkins County Public Works, 75,000 gallons per year
- Cornell University Facilities, 40,000 gallons per year
- Town of Ithaca Public Works, 34,000 gallons per year
- City of Ithaca, 32,000 gallons per year
- Cornell Farm Services, 2,000 gallons per year, plus 10,000 gallons of B20
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