# Clean Cities
Alternative Fuel Price Report

April 201 1

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 2 

# WELCOME!

Welcome to the April 20 1 1 issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, a quarterly report designed to keep you up to date on the prices of alternative fuels and conventional fuels in the U.S

. This issue summarizes prices that were collected between April 1

, 201 1 and April 15 , 201 1 from Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel providers, and other Clean Cities stakeholders.



# METHODOLOGY

In order to collect price information for both

alternative fuels and conventional fuels from areas across the country, Clean Cities Coordinator s, fue l providers, and other key stakeholders were contacted to request that they provide prices for

fuels in their area on a voluntary basis

. Prices were collected on all major alternative fuels currently in widespread use (natural gas, propane, biodiesel

, and ethanol), as well as prices for conventional fuels at stations that also sell alternative fuels (or stations nearby)

. Prices were collected from public and private refueling stations throughout the country, and were collected between April 1

, 201 1

an d April 15 , 201 1 . Prices were then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions (and among regions)

. Prices in this report are grouped by U.S. areas as defined by the Petroleum

Administration for Defense Districts (PADD): the districts are illustrated in the map to the right.

The prices collected for this report represent retail,

at

- the

- pump sales prices for each fuel, including f ederal and s tate motor fuel taxes

. In some cases, prices were colle cted from government or utility refueling facilities and these taxes were not included in the reported price

. In these instances, although these users are not required to pay these taxes, the taxes were added to the reported price to provide a more represe ntative basis for comparison of fuel prices for the purpose of this report

. In some cases, states may charge a flat annual fee for motor fuel taxes (especially for gaseous fuels like compressed natural gas ) : these fees are not considered in the prices repo rted in these pages.

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 3 

# SUMMARY OF CURRENT REPORT INFORMATION

Overall nationwide average prices for

conventional and alternative fuels are shown

in Table 1. 1 

### As this table illustrates, alternative fuel prices relative to conventional fuels vary, with some (biodiesel ) higher and some ( CNG, E85

, and propane ) lower

. CNG

is about $1. 63 less than gasoline on an

energy

- equivalent basis, while E85 is about

49 cents less per gallon than gasoline

. Propane is about 50 cents per gallon less than gasoline. B20 prices are higher than regular diesel by about 1 cent

. B99/B100 blends have

a cost of about 28 cents per gallon more than regular diesel

. 2



### Relative to the last rep ort from January 20 1 1 , the average prices for all of the fuels included in this price report have increased by as

much as 61 cents. It should be noted that the price increases ( or decreases ) could be attributed both to an actual increase in price and to

a slightly differing sample of prices (both location and quantity).

Prices in this report were collected and are reported in the units in which they are typically sold (dollars per gallon or dollars per gasoline gallon equivalent)

. Because of differing energy contents per gallon for these fuels, the price paid per unit of energy content can differ somewhat from the price paid per gallon

. Table 2 illustrates the fuel prices from Table 1 for the current reporting period normalized to a price per gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE)

, per diesel gallon equiva lent (DGE)

, or per million Btu of energy

. This calculation involves the use

of nominal lower heating values in Btu per gallon of fuel which can be found in the Transportation Energy Data Book

. 3


### Note that prices for the alternative fuels in terms of cost pe r gallon equivalent are generally higher than their cost per gallon because of their lower energy content per gallon

. 4 

### It has been seen, however, that consumer interest in alternative fuels increases as the price differential per gallon increases, even if

that differential does not directly translate to savings on an

energy

- equivalent basis.

1 A very small sample ( 5 points) of hydrogen information was received: average price for hydrogen was $ 3.87 per g asoline g allon equivalent in this report.

2 ASTM specifications now include blends of up to 5% biodiesel as regular diesel fuel, therefore the separate listing for B2/B5 has been discontinued from this and subsequent reports.

3 A listing of the conversion factors u sed appears as an appendix at the end of this report.

4 For ethanol flexible

- fuel vehicles, the actual difference in energy cost per mile is somewhat less than would be calculated simply on the differen ce in energy content of the fuels, as some

sources hav e noted many FFVs can achieve better energy efficiency (miles per unit of energy) on E85 than on gasoline. This effect is not currently included in these calculations as the magnitude of the effect varies by vehicle. 

### Table 1 . Overall Average Fuel Prices

Nationwide Average

Price for Fuel This

Report Nationwide Average Price for Fuel Last

Report Change in Price
This Report vs.

Last Report Units of

Measurement

Gasoline (Regular) $3.69 $3.08 $0.61 per gallon

Diesel $4.04 $3.45 $0.59 per gallon

CNG $2.06 $1.93 $0.13 per GGE

Ethanol (E85) $3.20 $2.75 $0.45 per gallon

Propane $3.19 $3.05 $0.14 per gallon

Biodiesel (B20) $4.05 $3.50 $0.55 per gallon

Biodiesel (B99

- B100) $4.32 $4.05 $0.27 per gallon



### Table 2. April 201 1 Overall Average Fuel Prices on Energy

- Equivalent

Basis

Nationwide
Average Price in

Gasoline Gallon

Equivalents Nationwide
Average Price in

Diesel Gallon
Equivalents Nationwide
Average Price in

Dollars per

Million Btu

Gasoline $3.69 $4.12 $31.98

Diesel $3.62 $4.04 $31.35

CNG $2.06 $2.30 $17.86

Ethanol (E85) $4.52 $5.04 $39.16

Propane $4.41 $4.92 $38.23

Biodiesel (B20) $3.69 $4.12 $32.01

Biodiesel (B99

- B100) $4.26 $4.75 $36.89

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 4 

# GASOLINE AND DIESEL PRICES

Average prices for gasoline and diesel as collected by Clean

Cities coordinators and other stakeholders (supplemented where necessary with other

reference sources for conventional fuels) are illustrated in Table 3. These prices were collected from refueling stations selling both conventional fuels and alternative fuels, a nd from conventional fuel refueling

stations near alternative fuel

stations

. There were 439 price points collected for gasoline and

392 for diesel, with average prices for gasoline ranging from

a low of $ 3.43 per gallon i n the New England region to a high of $ 4.00 per gallon on the West Coast. Diesel prices ranged from $ 3. 85 i n the New England region and $ 4.31 per gallon on the West

Coast

. Because prices for conventional fuels were collected from stations and regions providing alternative fuel price informa tion, data collection was not uniform across the regions of the country

. The information is, however, representative of refueling stations selling both alternative fuels and conventional fuels.

Table 4 illustrates average prices as provided by the DOE Energy Information Administration (EIA) on the petroleum information section of

its website

. 5 

### These prices are averages of prices from a selection of 800 retail fuel stations across the country

. Note that the average nationwide price from EIA generally matches relatively closely with the averages from

the station information collected from Clean Ci ties stakeholders

. C omparisons in this document between conventional fuel prices and alternative fuel prices will be made using prices collected from Clean Cities representatives wherever possible, as these prices are most representative of

stations sellin g both conventional and alternative fuels.

5 http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/info_glance/petroleum.html 

### Table 3. Average Gasoline and Diesel Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources

Regular Gasoline Information
Reported by Clean Cities ($/gal) Diesel Information Reported by Clean Cities ($/gal)

Average Price /

Standard Deviation
of Price Number of Data

Points Average Price /

Standard Deviation
of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $3.43 / 0.40 45 $3.85 / 0.35 44

Central Atlantic $3.65 / 0.27 33 $4.09 / 0.30 59

Lower Atlantic $3.61 / 0.21 60 $3.92 / 0.18 45

Midwest $3.74 / 0.17 163 $4.00 / 0.19 124

Gulf Coast $3.64 / 0.07 39 $3.92 / 0.14 22

Rocky Mountain $3.55 / 0.10 43 $4.05 / 0.13 38

West Coast $4.00 / 0.26 56 $4.31 / 0.58 60

NATIONAL AVERAGE $3.69 / 0.27 439 $4.04 / 0.34 392



### Table 4. EIA Gasoline and Diesel Price Averages

Gasoline Average

Price from EIA, Week of 4/11/11 Diesel Average Price from EIA,

Week 4/11/11

New England $3.77 $4.15

Central Atlantic $3.76 $4.20

Lower Atlantic $3.71 $4.02

Midwest $3.81 $4.04

Gulf Coast $3.67 $4.00

Rocky Mountain $3.57 $4.10

West Coast $4.04 $4.31

NATIONAL AVERAGE $3.79 $4.08

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 5 

# COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (RELATIVE TO GASOLINE)

Average prices for compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicle use are illustrated in Table 5, grouped by region. Information on prices for regular gasoline as provided by Clean Cities representatives is

also shown

. These prices were collected from across the country from Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel providers, and other stakeholders on a voluntary basis.

Over 310 CNG prices were collected in this report

. 6



### As Table 5 illustrates by region,

CNG has a lower price than gasoline for all regions of the country for which prices were obtained, with the largest difference ($ 2.16 per GGE ) being in the Rocky Mountain region. On average, CNG costs about $ 1. 63 less than gasoline on a per gasoline gallon equivalent basis

. Variability of CNG prices was higher (based on a standard deviation analysis) than variability of gasoline prices.

The map to the right illustrates some cost differentials by state for natural gas rela tive to gasoline, based on differentials between natural gas prices and gasoline prices for each state (versus the regional averages illustrated in Table 5). In this map, negative numbers represent costs for natural gas lower than costs for gasoline. State s not highlighted with a color did not have any natural gas data points in the current report. As the map illustrates, CNG prices were favorable relative to gasoline in most states across the country.

6 Prices for CNG were provided by the individual stakeholders in gasoline gallon equivalents from the “price at the pump.” It should be noted that the internal conversion factor between the physical quantities of gas delivered and g asoline g allon e quivalent was not collected from each of the refueling stations. Regional differences in gas heat content relative to the internal pump

conversion fa ctor may change the price per g asoline g allon e quivalent : these differences were not determined for this report, however. 

### Table 5 . Compressed Natural Gas Average Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources

Natural Gas (CNG) Information Reported by Clean Cities ($/ GGE ) Regular Gasoline Information Reported by Clean Cities ($/gal)

Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $2.38 / 0.78 13 $3.43 / 0.40 45

Central Atlantic $2.41 / 0.46 74 $3.65 / 0.27 33

Lower Atlantic $1.87 / 0.47 7 $3.61 / 0.21 60

Midwest $1.66 / 0.40 24 $3.74 / 0.17 163

Gulf Coast $1.84 / 0.43 7 $3.64 / 0.07 39

Rocky Mountain $1.39 / 0.37 70 $3.55 / 0.10 43

West Coast $2.32 / 0.49 116 $4.00 / 0.26 56

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.06 / 0.62 311 $3.69 / 0.27 439

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 6 

# COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (RELATIVE TO DIESEL) 7



### Average prices for compressed natural gas for vehicle use are illustrated in Table 6, grouped by region. Information on prices for

conventional diesel fuel as provided by representatives from

Clean Cities and supplemental

sources is also shown

. These price s were collected from across the country from Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel providers, and other stakeholders on a voluntary

basis

. Note that the CNG prices in Table 6 are the same group of prices as for Table 5, but converted to a cost per diesel gallon equivalent basis, in order to compare directly with diesel prices

.

As Table 6 illustrates by region, CNG has a lower price than diesel fo r all regions of the country, with the largest difference ($ 2. 50 per DGE ) being in the Rocky Mountain region. On average, CNG costs about $ 1. 74 less than diesel on a per diesel gallon equivalent

basis

. Based on standard deviation calculations, CNG appears to have had more variability in price during this time period relative to

diesel fuel.

The map to the right ill ustrates some cost differentials by state for natural gas relative to diesel, based on differentials between natural gas prices and diesel prices for each state (versus the regional averages illustrated in Table 6). In this map, negative numbers

represent costs for natural gas lower than costs for diesel. States not highlighted with a color did not have any natural gas data points in the current report. As with the comparison to gasoline, natural gas prices relative to diesel were also favorable for many st ates, as the map shows

.

7 A total of 9 LNG price points were collected with an average fuel price of $ 1.85 per gallon. 

### Tabl e 6. Compressed Natural Gas Average Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources

Natural Gas (CNG) Information Reported by Clean Cities ($/ DGE ) Diesel Information Reported by Clean Cities ($/gal)

Average Price/

Standard Deviation
of Price Number of Data

Points Average Price/

Standard Deviation
of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $2.66 / 0.87 13 $3.85 / 0.35 44

Central Atlantic $2.69 / 0.52 74 $4.09 / 0.30 59

Lower Atlantic $2.09 / 0.52 7 $3.92 / 0.18 45

Midwest $1.85 / 0.44 24 $4.00 / 0.19 124

Gulf Coast $2.05 / 0.47 7 $3.92 / 0.14 22

Rocky Mountain $1.55 / 0.41 70 $4.05 / 0.13 38

West Coast $2.58 / 0.54 116 $4.31 / 0.58 60

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.30 / 0.69 311 $4.04 / 0.34 392

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 7 

# ETHANOL (E85)

Average prices for ethanol in an 85% blend with 15% gasoline (E85) are illustrated in Table 7, grouped by region

. Information on prices for regular gasoline as provided by Clean Cities representatives is also shown

. These prices were collected from

across the country from Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel providers, and other stakeholders on a voluntary basis . A total of

422 prices for ethanol were

collected in this data collection

effort.

Note that E85 has a lower average price per gallon than regular gaso line for all regions (see Table 7)

. On average, E85 is about 49 cents lower in price than regular gasoline on a per

- gallon basis, with the largest average differential ( 65 cents) being found o n the West Coast . Based on the calculated standard deviations in this set of E85 price information, it can be seen that price variability for E85 was similar to the price variability for gasoline for the period.

The map to the right illustrates some cost

differentials b etween E85 and regular gasoline by state, based on differentials between E85 prices and gasoline prices for each state (versus the regional averages illustrated in Table 7). In this map, negative numbers represent costs for E85 lower than for gasoline, and positive numbers represent costs for E85 higher than gasoline. States not highlighted with a color did not have any E85 data points in the current report. In the time period for this report, E85 costs less per gallon than gasoline for most areas

for which prices were available: the best pricing

was in the Midwest

. Table 7. Ethanol (E85) Average Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources

Ethanol (E85) Information Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal) Regular Gasoline Information Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal)

Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $3.29 /

-
. -- 1 $3.43 / 0.40 45

Central Atlantic $3.24 / 0.29 80 $3.65 / 0.27 33

Lower Atlantic $3.26 / 0.24 52 $3.61 / 0.21 60

Midwest $3.16 / 0.26 148 $3.74 / 0.17 163

Gulf Coast $3.26 / 0.24 31 $3.64 / 0.07 39

Rocky Mountain $2.99 / 0.18 56 $3.55 / 0.10 43

West Coast $3.35 / 0.28 54 $4.00 / 0.26 56

NATIONAL AVERAGE $3.20 / 0.27 422 $3.69 / 0.27 439

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 8 

# PROPANE

Average prices for propane are illustrated in Table 8, grouped by region

. Information on prices for regular gasoline as provided by representatives from Clean Cities

is also shown

. These prices were collected from across the country

from Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel providers, and other stakeholders on a voluntary basis

. Over 245 propane prices were collected in this reporting period.

As Table 8 illustrates regionally,

propane prices are lower than gasoline in all regions for this

report . Ov erall, propane was

about 50 cents per gallon less than gasoline with the largest average price differential of 84 cents found in the Midwest

. Based on calculations of standard deviation in prices, it can be seen that propane prices for vehicle use seems to have varied more than gasoline prices during this sampling period. 8



### The map to the right illustrates some cost differentials between propane and regular gasoline on a per

- gallon basis, based on differentials between propane prices and gasoline prices fo r each state (versus the regional averages illustrated in Table 8). In this map, negative numbers represent costs for propane lower than costs for gasoline, and positive numbers represent propane prices higher than gasoline. States not highlighted

with a c olor did not have any propane data points in the current report. Several regions had states with favorable p ropane prices including the Midwest

, West Coast , and Atlantic regions

.

8 Prices for propane in this report ar e from both private fleet refueling stations and public refueling sites that can provide propane for vehicles and for other u ses. The prices at private stations are generally lower, and may be more representative of the prices the majority of propane vehic le users pay. 

### Table 8. Propane Average Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources

Propane Information Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal) Regular Gasoline Information
Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal)

Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $3.40 / 0.44 7 $3.43 / 0.40 45

Central Atlantic $3.47 / 0.93 46 $3.65 / 0.27 33

Lower Atlantic $3.35 / 0.81 23 $3.61 / 0.21 60

Midwest $2.90 / 0.71 34 $3.74 / 0.17 163

Gulf Coast $2.96 / 0.52 19 $3.64 / 0.07 39

Rocky Mountain $2.80 / 0.51 36 $3.55 / 0.10 43

West Coast $3.33 / 0.64 83 $4.00 / 0.26 56

NATIONAL AVERAGE $3.19 / 0.74 248 $3.69 / 0.27 439

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 9 

# BIODIESEL BLENDS: B20

Average prices for biodiesel in a

20% blend with 80% diesel (B20) are illustrated in Table 9, grouped by region

. Information on prices for regular diesel as provided by Clean Cities representatives is also shown

. These prices were collected from across the country from Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel providers, and other stakeholders

on a voluntary basis

. A total of

138 prices were obtained for B20 across the country.

As Table 9 illustrates, biodiesel in a B20 blend has an average price per gallon that is somewhat higher than conventional diesel

fuel in some regions and lower in others (ra nging from 14 cent s more to 14 cents less per gallon). Based on calculations of standard deviation on B20 prices, variability in B20 prices was larger than the variability in price of conventional diesel in a number of region s

. On average in the U.S., biodiesel in a B20 blend costs about 1 cent more per gallon than conventional diesel fuel based on current

information

.

The map to the right illustrates some cost differentials between B20 and diesel on a per

gallon basis, based o n differentials between biodiesel prices and diesel prices for each state (versus the regional averages illustrated in Table 9). In this map, negative numbers represent costs for B20 lower than costs for diesel, and positive numbers represent B20 prices hi gher than diesel. States not highlighted with a color did not have any B20 data points in the current report. B20 had favorable pricing in a number of states located around the country , most notably in the New England region as well as part of the Rocky

Mo untain region. Table 9 . Biodiesel (B20) Average Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources

Biodiesel (B20) Information Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal) Diesel Information Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal)

Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Approximate Number of Stations Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Approximate Number of Stations

New England $3.71 / 1.08 16 $3.85 / 0.35 44

Central Atlantic $4.07 / 0.30 22 $4.09 / 0.30 59

Lower Atlantic $3.86 / 0.27 21 $3.92 / 0.18 45

Midwest $4.02 / 0.29 29 $4.00 / 0.19 124

Gulf Coast $4.06 / 0.11 7 $3.92 / 0.14 22

Rocky Mountain $4.15 / 0.30 13 $4.05 / 0.13 38

West Coast $4.31 / 0.38 30 $4.31 / 0.58 60

NATIONAL AVERAGE $4.05 / 0.49 138 $4.04 / 0.34 392

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 10 

# BIODIESEL BLENDS: B100/B99

Average prices for high

- level blends of biodiesel (99% or 100% biodiesel with diesel fuel)

are illustrated in Table 1 0

, grouped by region

. Information on prices for regular diesel as provided by Clean Cities representatives is also shown

. These prices were collect ed from across the country from Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel providers, and other stakeholders on a voluntary

basis . A total of 38 price points

were collected from stations offering B99/B100 for sale across the country.

As Table 1 0 illustrates regional ly, the cost of B99/B100 is generally more than the cost of diesel fuel per gallon in the regions for which data were collected

, up to $1. 05 more than diesel. On average across the nation, B99/B100 is about 28 c ents per gallon higher than regular diesel

. Based on standard deviation calculations on these price points, it appears that prices for B99/B100 varied more widely for most areas in this time period than regular diesel.

The map to the right illustrates some cost differentials between high

- level bi odiesel blends and regular diesel on a per

- gallon basis, based on differentials between biodiesel prices and diesel prices for each state (versus the regional averages illustrated in Table 10). In this map, negative numbers represent costs

for these blends that are lower than costs for diesel, and positive numbers represent prices for these blends that are higher than diesel. States not highlighted with a color did not have any high

- level biodiesel blend data points in the current report. Where data was

ava ilable for this report, p rices for B100 were

favorable in a number of state s in the New England, Midwest, Gulf Cost, and West Coast regions. Table 10. Biodiesel (B99

- B100) Average Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources

Biodiesel (B99

- B100) Information Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal) Diesel Information Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal)

Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points Average Price/

Standard Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $3.52 /

-
. -- 1 $3.85 / 0.35 44

Central Atlantic $4.62 / 0.72 7 $4.09 / 0.30 59

Lower Atlantic $4.35 / 0.49 2 $3.92 / 0.18 45

Midwest $3.87 / 0.26 2 $4.00 / 0.19 124

Gulf Coast $4.24 / 1.06 2 $3.92 / 0.14 22

Rocky Mountain $5.10 /

-
. -- 1 $4.05 / 0.13 38

West Coast $4.27 / 0.35 23 $4.31 / 0.58 60

NATIONAL AVERAGE $4.32 / 0.51 38 $4.04 / 0.34 392

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 11 

# COMPARISON OF PRICES OF THIS REPORT VERSUS LAST REPORT

Table 11 below summarizes the average prices collected for this report by region, and compares them to prices collected in the Price Report from January 201 1

. It should be noted that a portion of the price changes could be attributed to differing sample sizes and composition between the two reports.

Table 11. Comparison of Prices, Last Price Report versus Current Price Report

Price for April 201 1 Period Price for January 201 1 Period Price Differential
April vs. January

Gasoline ($ per gallon) National Average $3.69 $3.08 $0.61 / 20%

New England $3.43 $3.26 $0.17 / 5%

Central Atlantic $3.65 $3.19 $0.46 / 14%

Lower Atlantic $3.61 $3.00 $0.61 / 20%

Midwest $3.74 $3.08 $0.66 / 21%

Gulf Coast $3.64 $2.95 $0.69 / 23%

Rocky Mountain $3.55 $2.89 $0.66 / 23%

West Coast $4.00 $3.28 $0.72 / 22%

Diesel ($ per gallon) National Average $4.04 $3.45 $0.59 / 17%

New England $3.85 $3.61 $0.24 / 7%

Central Atlantic $4.09 $3.57 $0. 52 / 15%

Lower Atlantic $3.92 $3.32 $0.6 0 / 18%

Midwest $4.00 $3.39 $0.61 / 18%

Gulf Coast $3.92 $3.33 $0.59 / 18%

Rocky Mountain $4.05 $3.38 $0.67 / 20%

West Coast $4.31 $3.57 $0.74 / 21%

Compressed Natural Gas ($ per GGE) National Average $2.06 $1.93 $0.13 / 7%

New England $2.38 $2.36 $0.02 / 1%

Central Atlantic $2.41 $2.27 $0.14 / 6%

Lower Atlantic $1.87 $1.82 $0.05 / 3%

Midwest $1.66 $1.70 ($0.04) / (2%)

Gulf Coast $1.84 $1.79 $0. 05 / 3%

Rocky Mountain $1.39 $1.37 $0.02 / 2%

West Coast $2.32 $2.21 $0.11 / 5%

Ethanol (E85) ($ per gallon) National Average $3.20 $2.75 $0.45 / 16%

New England $3.29 $2.90 $0.39 / 13%

Central Atlantic $3.24 $2.82 $0.42 / 15%

Lower Atlantic $3.26 $2.80 $0.46 / 16%

Midwest $3.16 $2.72 $0.44 / 16%

Gulf Coast $3.26 $2.69 $0.57 / 21%

Rocky Mountain $2.99 $2.61 $0.38 / 15%

West Coast $3.35 $2.92 $0.43 / 15%

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 12 Table 11. Comparison of Prices, Last Price Report versus Current Price Report

Price April 2011 Period Price for January 2011 Period Price Differential
April vs. January

Propane ($ per gallon) National Average $3.19 $3.05 $0.14 / 5%

New England $3.40 $3.35 $0.05 / 1%

Central Atlantic $3.47 $3.54 ($0.07) / (2%)

Lower Atlantic $3.35 $3.06 $0.29 / 9%

Midwest $2.90 $2.79 $0.11 / 4%

Gulf Coast $2.96 $2.98 ($0.02) / (1%)

Rocky Mountain $2.80 $2.72 $0.08 / 3%

West Coast $3.33 $3.01 $0.32 / 10%

Biodiesel (B20) ($ per gallon) National Average $4.05 $3.50 $0.55 / 16%

New England $3.71 $3.53 $0.18 / 5%

Central Atlantic $4.07 $3.58 $0.49 / 14%

Lower Atlantic $3.86 $3.45 $0.41 / 12%

Midwest $4.02 $3.47 $0.55 / 16%

Gulf Coast $4.06 $3.49 $0.57 / 16%

Rocky Mountain $4.15 $3.49 $0.66 / 19%

West Coast $4.31 $3.49 $0.82 / 24%

Biodiesel (B99

- B100) ($ per gallon) National Average $4.32 $4.05 $0.27 / 7%

New England $3.52 $2.95 $0.57 / 19%

Central Atlantic $4.62 $3.99 $0.63 / 16%

Lower Atlantic $4.35 $3.70 $0.65 / 18%

Midwest $3.87 $4.22 ($0.35) / (8%)

Gulf Coast $4.24 $4.44 ($0.20) / (5%)

Rocky Mountain $5.10 $5.18 ($0.08) / (1%)

West Coast $4.27 $3.97 $0.30 / 8%

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 13 

# COMPARISON OF PRICES BY REGION FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE REFUELING STATIONS

Table 1 2 below summarizes the comparison of prices for all of the fuels included in this report, separated into averages for stations open to the public (public refueling stations) and stations available only to selected fleets or privately

- owned stations (private refueling stations). Private fleet fueling stations can typically negotiate prices lower than retail public stations, if they are willi ng to commit to purchasing large quantities of fuel over an extended period of time. However, private fleet pricing can s ometimes be higher than retail public stations if there are unusual circumstances (remote locations, sites that use very small quantities of fuel, or specia l contracts where unique billing & accounting services or fleet service management fees are rolled i nto the price of the fuel).

As with the other prices in this report, all of these averages are prices with state and federal taxes included, using the pr otocols outlined at the beginning of this document.

Table 12. Comparison of Prices by Fuel Type, Regi on, and Station Type

Private Refueling Station Average

Price Public Refueling Station Average

Price
Gasoline ($/gallon) National Average $3.66 $3.69

New England $3.49 $3.42

Central Atlantic $3.62 $3.65

Lower Atlantic $3.47 $3.63

Midwest $

-
. -- $3.74

Gulf Coast $

-
. -- $3.64

Rocky Mountain $3.44 $3.55

West Coast $4.13 $3.98
Diesel ($/gallon) National Average $4.14 $4.02

New England $3.96 $3.83

Central Atlantic $4.27 $4.01

Lower Atlantic $3.64 $3.96

Midwest $

-
. -- $4.00

Gulf Coast $

-
. -- $3.92

Rocky Mountain $3.94 $4.05

West Coast $4.65 $4.29
Natural Gas (CNG) ($/GGE) National Average $1.89 $2.14

New England $2.33 $2.39

Central Atlantic $2.35 $2.52

Lower Atlantic $1.40 $2.06

Midwest $1.66 $1.65

Gulf Coast $1.89 $1.82

Rocky Mountain $1.26 $1.49

West Coast $1.67 $2.40
Ethanol (E85) ($/gallon) National Average $3.13 $3.20

New England $

-
. -- $3.29

Central Atlantic $3.10 $3.25

Lower Atlantic $2.95 $3.27

Midwest $2.99 $3.16

Gulf Coast $

-
. -- $3.26

Rocky Mountain $

-
. -- $2.99

West Coast $3.47 $3.35
Propane ($/gallon) National Average $2.76 $3.23

New England $

-
. -- $3.40

Central Atlantic $2.13 $3.84

Lower Atlantic $2.08 $3.40

Midwest $2.25 $2.92

Gulf Coast $

-
. -- $2.96

Rocky Mountain $

-
. -- $2.80

West Coast $3.70 $3.29

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 14 Table 12. Comparison of Prices by Fuel Type, Regi on, and Station Type

Private Refueling Station Average

Price Public Refueling Station Average

Price
Biodiesel (B20) ($/gallon) National Average $3.99 $4.10

New England $3.42 $4.10

Central Atlantic $4.08 $4.04

Lower Atlantic $3.72 $3.89

Midwest $3.65 $4.03

Gulf Coast $4.19 $4.03

Rocky Mountain $

-
. -- $4.15

West Coast $4.18 $4.35
Biodiesel (B99/B100) ($/gallon) National Average $4.66 $4.30

New England $

-
. -- $3.52

Central Atlantic $

-
. -- $4.62

Lower Atlantic $

-
. -- $4.35

Midwest $

-
. -- $3.87

Gulf Coast $

-
. -- $4.24

Rocky Mountain $

-
. -- $5.10

West Coast $4.66 $4.24

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 15 

# HISTORICAL ALTERNATIVE FUEL PRICES FROM PREVIOUS REPORTS

The graphs on this page illustrate the historical prices for the alternative fuels included in these reports (specifically natural gas, propane, ethanol, and biodiesel) relative to gasoline and diesel. These graphs include prices collected as part of the current Price Report activity, which began in September 2005. Natural gas (in GGE), propane, and ethanol have been graphed against gasoli ne prices, while natural gas (in DGE) and biodiesel have been graphed against diesel prices.

$1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50 $4.00 $4.50Sep-05Jan-06May-06Sep-06Jan-07May-07Sep-07Jan-08May-08Sep-08Jan-09May-09Sep-09Jan-10May-10Sep-10Jan-11Price per Gallon

Gasoline

Natural Gas (GGE)

Propane

Ethanol (E85)



### Alternative

Fuel Prices

versus
Gasoline

$1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50 $4.00 $4.50 $5.00 $5.50Sep-05Jan-06May-06Sep-06Jan-07May-07Sep-07Jan-08May-08Sep-08Jan-09May-09Sep-09Jan-10May-10Sep-10Jan-11Price per Gallon

Diesel

Natural Gas (DGE)

Biodiesel (B20)

Biodiesel (B2/B5)

Biodiesel (B99/B100) 

### Alternative

Fuel Prices

versus
Diesel

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 16 .



# ILLUSTRATION OF CONVERSION FACTORS FOR FUELS

The standard lower heating values for fuels from the Transportation Energy Data B ook 2 6 are listed below.

Lower Heating Value

Gasoline 115,400 BTU/gal

Diesel 128,700 BTU/gal

Compressed Natural Gas 960 BTU/cubic foot

Ethanol 75,670 BTU/gal

Propane 83,500 BTU/gal

Biodiesel 117,093 BTU/gal



### Conversion factors to establish prices in dollars per gasoline gallon equivalent are illustrated below, and were developed using the lower heating values outlined

above

. The conversion factors are derived in the manner shown in the graphic to the right.

In the case of CNG, prices are provided to us in GGE, so no conversion is necessary (the representative heating value of CNG is provided above as a reference)

. To convert a price from dollars per gallon to dollars per gasoline gallon equivalent, multiply the price per gallon by the conversion facto r.

Conversion factor to

GGE

CNG 1.00

Ethanol (E85) 1.41

Propane 1.38

Biodiesel (B20) 0.91

Biodiesel (B100) 0.99



### Conversion factors to establish prices in dollars per diesel gallon equivalent are illustrated below, and were developed using the lower heating values outlined above

. To convert a price from dollars per gallon to dollars per diesel gallon equivalent, multiply the price per gallon by the conversion factor.

Conversion factor to

DGE

Ethanol (E85) 1.58

Propane 1.54

CNG (in GGE) 1.12

Biodiesel (B20) 1.02

Biodiesel (B100) 1.10

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2011

Page 17 

# ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge all of the contributors from the Clean Cities community who have provided prices for th is report: we sincerely appreciate your continued dedication to the success of this report. The authors would also like to acknowledge the continued support of DOE for developing this report.



# WOULD YOU LIKE TO PARTICIPATE?

If you would like to provide prices for alternative fuels in your region and be part of the data collection effort for this report, please

contact:

Steve Babcock New West Technologies, LLC 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 800 Landover, MD 20785 (301) 429

- 1180 (phone) (301) 429

- 1185 (FAX) afpr @nwttech.com

DISCLAIMER

This document highlights work sponsored by agencies of the U.S. Government. Neither the U.S. Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or useful ness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or oth erwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect thos e of the

U.S. Government o r any agency thereof.