SAINT PAUL, MN - Between July 2010 and June 2011, the Minnesota state fleet used more than one million gallons of E-85, setting a new record for a 12-month period, according to a release from the American Lung Association in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota SmartFleet Committee, E-85 now accounts for approximately 19 percent of their light-duty fuel purchases. State agencies used 736,885 gallons of E-85 from January through September, up from the 724,827 gallons during the same period in 2010.

"I am pleased to report that many of our State agencies continue to lead by example, increasing their use of E-85 fuel in State vehicles," Tim Morse, chair of the SmartFleet Committee and director of Fleet and Surplus Services for the Minnesota Department of Administration, stated in the release. "This increase is all the more notable because many of the State's 3,000 flex-fuel vehicles that are capable of using E-85 were not driven during a 20-day state government shutdown in July."

Executive Order 11‐13 calls for Minnesota State government to reduce the quantity of petroleum fuels consumed in transportation, a November update from the SmartFleet Committee stated. Gasoline quantity is to be reduced 50 percent by 2015, from a base established in 2005. Using E-85 fuel instead of gasoline will help move the State toward accomplishing this goal.