http://bayh.senate.gov/releases/2006/06/14JULY06PR.htm

Bayh Applauds 'Kick the Oil Habit' Participants for Promoting Alternative Fuels

Volunteers highlight renewable energy by taking cross-country road trip fueled entirely by E-85

Washington D.C. -- U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today praised the efforts of "Kick the Oil Habit" volunteers Mark Pike and Theo Lecompte who left Alexandria, Virginia, Wednesday in a flex-fuel Crown Victoria with a commitment to fill their tank with only clean-burning E-85 biofuel for the duration of their coast-to-coast road trip. They will fuel up in Indiana today before continuing west.

"These young men's dedication to increasing the availability of alternative fuels for all drivers is innovative and inspiring," Senator Bayh said. "Not only will increased use of renewable fuels like E-85 reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase farm income by billions of dollars, it also will strengthen America's national security by making us more energy independent. More drivers should have the option of selecting American-made ethanol for their vehicles, which is why I've introduced legislation to encourage more E-85 pumps nationwide."

The difficulty the drivers had designing a route that would allow them regular access to E-85 fueling stations is a stark illustration of the serious lack of alternative energy infrastructure in America. While there are currently more than six million vehicles in the United States capable of using E-85 fuel, a shortage of E-85 pumps forces many drivers to use regular gasoline instead. Only one half of 1 percent, or about 600, of the nation's fueling stations are equipped with E-85 pumps.

Before leaving Indiana, Pike and Lecompte will visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to take an up-close look at the ethanol-fueled racecars there. The Indy Racing League is setting the pace for regular drivers by racing on a 10-percent ethanol blend in 2006 and switching to a 100 percent ethanol fuel next year.

Senator Bayh has been a leader in the efforts to reduce American dependence on foreign oil. In November, Bayh introduced the Vehicle and Fuel Choices for American Security Act, which includes a provision to increase the ethanol infrastructure tax credit to 50 percent to encourage the construction of more E-85 pumps at gas stations. In June, he visited an E-85 equipped gas station in Terre Haute to discuss how ethanol can reduce Americans' fuel costs while providing Hoosiers with stable jobs in the New Energy Economy.