MIDWEST CITY, OK – The city council for the City of Midwest City, Okla., voted to install a new biofuels refueling station for City-owned vehicles.

According to the City, the new fueling station will replace two 20-year-old underground storage tanks. The City awarded the project to Petroleum Marketers, Inc., and expects project completion in 45 days.

The existing tanks aren’t compatible with biofuels, and out of the more than 500 vehicles in the fleet, none currently operate on alternative fuels, although 80 vehicles are capable of doing so. The new station will allow those 80 vehicles to fuel up.

The new station will provide three new underground storage tanks, one for biodiesel, another for ethanol, and a third for unleaded gasoline. In addition, two new blender pumps will replace the four existing pumps at the site.

"Meeting the energy needs of the future requires a balanced solution, one that includes innovative thinking, environmentally responsible actions and cost effective projects like this one. We are missing out on an excellent opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint by currently not having alternative fuels available for our City vehicles. Our biofuels refueling project is a huge step for the City of Midwest City's green initiative," Fleet Services Manager Craig Davis said.

Beyond new fueling infrastructure, the new station will feature a fuel site control system that allows anyone fueling a vehicle to electronically “lock” each into using the cleanest fuel available. The system is certified for the fuel types the station will provide, according to the City. Lastly, the fueling station will also come with a new leak detection system.

The new fueling station contract price is $270,697.97. The City received a conversion grant of $147,190 from the Association of Central Oklahoma Government that it will apply to this project. The remaining $123,507.97 will come from various City capital outlay funds.