Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition Leads National Effort to Reduce Gasoline Use by Displacing 135 Million Gallons

SAINT PAUL, Minn., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A national ranking of Clean Cities programs, established by the U.S.  Department of Energy to help reduce America's dependence on traditional petroleum fuels, showed the Saint Paul-based Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition as the nation's top program, with 135,175,133 cumulative gallons of gasoline displaced from 2005-2009. The ranking was included as part of a Department of Energy news release issued this week on new steps being taken to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles.

Minnesota has more E85 stations (360+) than any other state and was the first to require a 5 percent biodiesel blend in most of the diesel sold.  The cities of Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Brooklyn Park were early adopters of alternative fuel vehicles, as were Hennepin, Dakota and Ramsey counties. The state fleet includes 2,500 flex fuel vehicles that can use E85 or gasoline, they used nearly 1 million gallons of E85 in 2010.

In a national conference call on April 19, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup, and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman discussed the new funding opportunities for electric vehicles and infrastructure. They also outline a new partnership with Google to help owners of electric vehicles (EVs) locate charging stations.

"We are very pleased to see the hard work of our many partner organizations reflected in our number one ranking," said Lisa Thurstin, manager of outdoor air programs for the American Lung Association in Minnesota, which administers the Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition.  "The ranking was determined based on the amount of E85, biodiesel, natural gas, propane and other cleaner-burning alternative fuels reported by each Clean Cities coalition to the Department of Energy."

The stakeholders of the Twin Cities Clean Cities are: American Lung Association in Minnesota, Amerigas, Chart Industries, City of Brooklyn Park, City of Minneapolis, City of Saint Paul, Dakota County, Ferrellgas, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Grossman Chevrolet, Hennepin County, Holiday Companies, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Department of Commerce-Division of Energy Resources, Minnesota Department of Administration-Travel Management, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Minnesota Environmental Initiative, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, Ramsey County, Schwan's Frozen Foods, United Soybean Growers Association, U.S. General Services Administration, U.S. Postal Service-Northland District, A.J. Moses.

SOURCE American Lung Association in Minnesota