Contact:  Lori Donlan 517-373-9280
Agency: Labor & Economic Growth

March 20, 2007 - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG) Director Keith W. Cooley today announced that four additional service stations will receive incentives to install refueling equipment for ethanol (E85) or biodiesel (B20) fuel. Today's awards are in additional to seven awards made in the past few months. The incentives are part Governor Granholm's plan to have 1,000 biofuel pumps operating in Michigan by 2008.

"Michigan has the right strategy to become a national leader in the development, production and use of alternative energy," Granholm said. "These service station owners are helping us lead the way by investing in renewable, domestically produced fuels and equipment for their customers."

Service station owners receiving the incentives have agreed to complete their installation and begin dispensing E85 and/or B20 fuel to the public by August 31, 2007. The stations receiving incentives are:

• WOW Utica & Groesbeck in Fraser - $4,000, (B20)
• Applebee Oil & Propane, St. Johns - $4,000, (B20) 
• 127 Party Store, Hudson - $12,000, (E85) 
• Applebee Oil & Propane, Ovid - $12,000, (E85)

 "Developing the refueling infrastructure now for alternative fuels is critical for reducing our dependence on foreign oil and for bolstering our economy," Cooley said.

Cooley added that state incentives for conversion and installation of alternative fuel equipment are still available. Cash awards of up to $12,000 are available for converting existing equipment or installing new equipment to dispense E85 or B20. For application information, contact the NextEnergy Center or the Clean Energy Coalition, as listed below. General program information is also available from the DLEG/Energy Office website at www.michigan.gov/energyoffice.

Funding for the Biofuel Infrastructure Incentive Program is from a U.S. Department of Energy grant (www.energy.gov). The program is administered by the DLEG Energy Office, (www.michigan.gov/energyoffice) in cooperation with the Michigan Strategic Fund. Contacts: Tim Shireman, Energy Office Project Manager (517-241-6281, tashire@michigan.gov) Dan Radomski, NextEnergy Center (313) 833-0100, darn@nextenergy.org Sean Reed, Clean Energy Coalition (734) 717-1455, reed@cec-mi.org.

Read more Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth press releases.