September-October 2010

Since 2005, state agencies have increased the use of E85 in their vehicles nearly nine-fold, from just a few thousand gallons in 2005 to more than 816,000 gallons last year and are close to surpassing 1 million gallons annually for the first time ever.

Through the first three quarters of 2010, agencies bought nearly 725,000 gallons of E85 at many of the 350-plus retailers located throughout the state. How close is the state to eclipsing the million-gallon mark? In the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, E85 purchases were just 60,000 gallons shy of the million-gallon mark.

"With more than 2,500 'flex-fuel' vehicles in the state fleet, replacing a couple of tanks of regular unleaded with E85 could very well nudge the state past 1 million gallons for 2010," according to Tim Morse, chair of the state's SmartFleet Committee and director of Fleet and Surplus Services in the Department of Administration. "One million gallons is within reach, but it will be close," he added.

Toward achieving the million-gallon milestone, agencies that operate leased vehicles from Admin Fleet Services will receive a $1 credit for each gallon of E85 they purchase in November. The credit will be applied automatically to Fleet Services invoices.

State agencies can also help by encouraging the use of E85 in their flex-fuel vehicles and follow the state's progress toward 1 million gallons on Twitter at MnE85, which will also include timely information about E85 and the "Million-Gallon Challenge."

State agencies that lease vehicles from Admin have surpassed the Governor's goal of reducing gasoline consumption by 25 percent by 2010.

The 19 agencies have cut gasoline use by 41 percent in five years, in part by increasing their use of E85, which now comprises 28.2 percent of all fuel purchases.

Admin leases about 1,200 vehicles to agencies; 89 percent of which are "flex-fuel" and can use E85 or regular unleaded gasoline.

Leading the way in E85 is the Department of Agriculture, where the fuel now accounts for nearly half of all retail purchases. Of the agencies that purchase more than 5,000 gallons of fuel annually, Commerce, Human Services, Health and Employment and Economic Development are using E85 for at least 25 percent of their fuel needs.

Outstanding Lean -- The Department of Veterans Affairs' "Awesome" Admissions Team and Deputy Commissioner Gil Acevedo share a token of recognition for their 2010 Governor’s Lean Productivity and Efficiency Award for their work in dramatically improving the state veterans' homes admissions process. The Wheaties box (General Mills is a partner in the state's improvement program) features a picture of team. The awards were presented Sept. 7 to four teams, an agency and an individual. See all the recipients in the October e-Lean Update.

Saving energy -- The Minnesota Portfolio of Sustainable Public Building Programs is among the nation's exceptional state energy efficiency programs, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Minnesota's initiative, sponsored by the Departments of Administration and Commerce, provides public building operators with tools to help manage buildings, improve efficiency and monitor results.

Lease rates decline for fifth straight biennium -– Overall lease rates for tenants in facilities under the custodial control of Admin will decrease 1.8 percent overall from FY2011 to FY2013. This is the fifth-straight biennium in which lease rates have declined. Details, including the square-foot cost by building, are available online in Bulletin 10.01.