Hamilton gassing up vehicles with cleaner, cheaper fuel
New Jersey Online
HAMILTON -- The township can add another line to its green resume.
Officials announced yesterday that Hamilton has begun fueling 20 township vehicles with E85 fuel, a mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline that proponents say is both cleaner-burning and less expensive than more traditional fuels.
The decision has netted yet another first for the township -- this summer, Hamilton became the first municipality in New Jersey to use natural gas-burning garbage trucks, and now it will become the first government to utilize E85-fueled vehicles, according to a news release.
"It is another first for our environmental sustainability efforts as we continue to move in the right direction when it comes to keeping Hamilton Township "clean and green,'" said Mayor John Bencivengo.
Called a "renewable commodity" in the township release, the ethanol in E85 is traditionally made from corn or other agricultural products and can reduce ozone pollutants and carbon dioxide emissions.
Bencivengo touted not only the environmental upside of switching to E85, but the cost-savings that can accompany such a move. The alternative fuel is generally cheaper than gasoline, and the township estimates they are paying approximately 14 cents less for a gallon of E85 than traditional gasoline, with the expectation that prices will continue to drop.
"Anytime we can help make our environment cleaner, and at the same time achieve savings for the taxpayers of Hamilton Township, it is a win-win situation for us all," Bencivengo said.
The vehicles, a mixture of police cars and Public Works pickups, work trucks and SUVs, can be refueled at the township's Public Works facility on Tampa Avenue, according to Rich Balgowan, director of public works.
They are what is known as "flex fuel" vehicles that are capable of running on E85, as Balgowan said many cars and trucks are.
"There are thousands of these vehicles on the road today," he said. "Many people own them and don't even know it."
The township has said they plan on buying more "flex fuel" vehicles in the future, and Balgowan said existing vehicles can also be converted to be E85-capable.
