The state fleet in South Dakota will soon be able to fuel up with E85 at three new dispensing units. The sites will be in Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Pierre to assist with the Department of Transportation.

About 1,270 of the state’s fleet are E85 compatible and purchased about 32,640 gallons of the clean, alternative fuel at private facilities in 2009. The new E85 sites should bring the gallons consumed up considerably.

“It makes it more convenient for state employees to get higher ethanol blends, and it should increase our use of those higher ethanol blends to an estimated 250,000 gallons per year,” said Governor Mike Rounds. “It also will benefit South Dakota’s ethanol producers and the farmers who grow the corn that’s used to make ethanol.”

Funding for the three ethanol tanks comes from a $280,000 energy grant that is part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus package.

There are 93 publicly accessed E85 and blender pump stations in the state of South Dakota.