# Clean Cities

Alternative Fuel Price Report

October 2010

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# WELCOME!

Welcome to the October 2010 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 a nd conventional fuels in the U.S. This issue summarizes prices that were collected bet ween

October 4, 2010 and October 14, 2010 from Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel providers, and other Clean Cities stakeholders.



# METHODOLOGY

In order to collect price information for both

alternative fuels and conv entional fuels from areas

across the country, Clean Ci ties Coordinators, fuel

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 October 4,

2010 and October 14, 2010. 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-p ump sales prices for each fuel, including federal and state moto r fuel taxes.

In some cases, prices were collected from government or utility refueling facilities and these taxes were not included in the r eported

price. In these instances, altho ugh these users are not required to pay these taxe s, the taxes were added to the reported price to provide

a more representative basis for comparison of fuel prices for the purpose of this repo rt. In some cases, states may charge a fl at annual

fee for motor fuel taxes (especially for gaseous fuels like compre ssed natural gas): these fees are not considered in the price s reported

in these pages.

Page 2

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# SUMMARY OF CURRENT REPORT INFORMATION

Overall nationwide average prices for

Table 1. Overall Average Fuel Prices 

## 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, propane) Nationwide Average

Price for Fuel This

Report Nationwide Average

Price for Fuel Last

Report Last Report Change in Price

This Report vs. Units of

Measurement

Gasoline (Regular) $2.78 $2.71 $0.07 per gallon 

## higher and some (E85 and CNG) lower. CNG

is about 85 cents less than gasoline on an Diesel $3.07 $2.95 $0.12 per gallon 

## energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about

CNG $1.93 $1.91 $0.02 per GGE 

## 34 cents less per gallon than gasoline.

Propane is about 7 cents per gallon more than Ethanol (E85) $2.44 $2.30 $0.14 per gallon



## gasoline. B20 prices are higher than regular Propane $2.85 $2.90 ($0.05) per gallon 

## diesel by about 7 cents. B99/B100 blends

Biodiesel (B20) $3.14 $3.06 $0.08 per gallon 

## have a cost of about 75 cents per gallon more

than regular diesel. 2 Biodiesel (B99

‐ B100) $3.82 $3.75 $0.07 per gallon



## Relative to the last report from July 2010, the average prices for the majority of the fuels included in this price report have increased

by as much as 14 cents, while the remaining fuel (propane) expe rienced an average price decrease of 5 cents. It should be noted that

the price increases or decreases could be a ttributed 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 Table 2. October 2010 Overall Average Fuel Prices on Energy

‐ 

## units in which they are typically sold (dollars per gallon or Equivalent Basis 

## dollars per gasoline gallon equivalent). Because of differing

energy contents per gallon for th ese 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 norm alized to a price per gasoline Nationwide

Average Price in

Gasoline Gallon

Equivalents Nationwide

Average Price in

Diesel Gallon

Equivalents Nationwide

Average Price in

Dollars per

Million Btu

Gasoline $2.78 $3.10 $24.12 

## gallon equivalent (GGE), per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE),

Diesel $2.75 $3.07 $23.87 

## or per million Btu of energy. This calculation involves the use

of nominal lower heating values in Btu per gallon of fuel CNG $1.93 $2.15 $16.68



## which can be found in the Transportation Energy Data Book 3



## . Ethanol (E85) $3.45 $3.84 $29.85 

## Note that prices for the alternative fuels in terms of cost per

Propane $3.93 $4.39 $34.10 

## gallon equivalent are generally higher than their cost per

gallon because of their lower energy content per gallon 4 

## . It has Biodiesel (B20) $2.86 $3.19 $24.82



## been seen, however, that consumer interest in alternative fuels

Biodiesel (B99

‐ B100) $3.76 $4.19 $32.58 

## 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 (4 points) of hydrogen information was received: average price for hydrogen was $6.81 per gasoline gallon 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 used appears as an appendix at the end of this report.

4 For ethanol flexible-fuel vehicles, the actua l difference in energy cost per mile is somewhat less than would be calculated si mply on the difference in energy content of the fuels, as some

sources have noted many FFVs can achieve better energy efficiency (miles per unit of energy) on E85 than on gasoline. This effe ct is not currently included in these calculations as the

magnitude of the effect varies by vehicle.



## Page 3

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# 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 re fueling stations

selling both conventional fuels

and alternative fuels, and from

conventional fuel refueling

stations near alternative fuel

stations. There were 420 price

points collected for gasoline and

371 for diesel, with average

prices for gasoline ranging from

a low of $2.61 per gallon on the

Gulf Coast to a high of $2.98 per 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)

A verage Price /

Standard Deviation

of Price Number of Data

Points A verage Price /

Standard Deviation

of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $2.86 / 0.21 44 $3.09 / 0.17 37

Central Atlantic $2.72 / 0.60 23 $3.11 / 0.20 39

Lower Atlantic $2.73 / 0.09 44 $3.04 / 0.20 43

Midwest $2.78 / 0.13 141 $3.02 / 0.11 102

Gulf Coast $2.61 / 0.12 36 $2.93 / 0.11 23

Rocky Mountain $2.76 / 0.13 83 $3.01 / 0.09 65

West Coast $2.98 / 0.28 49 $3.27 / 0.27 62

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.78 / 0.23 420 $3.07 / 0.20 371



## gallon on the West Coast. Diesel prices ranged from $2.93 on the Gulf Coast and $3.27 on the West Coast. Because prices for

conventional fuels were collected from stations and regions provi ding alternative fuel price information, data collection was n ot

uniform across the regions of the country. The information is, however, representative of refueling stations selling both alter native

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 Cities stakeholders.

Comparisons in this document between conventional fuel prices and

alternative fuel prices will be made using prices collected from Clean Cities

representatives wherever possible, as th ese prices are most representative of

stations selling both conventional and alternative fuels. Table 4. EIA Gasoline and Diesel Price Averages

Gasoline Average

Price from EIA,

Week of 10/11/10 Diesel Average

Price from EIA,

Week 10/11/10

New England $2.83 $3.12

Central Atlantic $2.80 $3.18

Lower Atlantic $2.73 $3.01

Midwest $2.83 $3.06

Gulf Coast $2.67 $2.98

Rocky Mountain $2.80 $3.09

West Coast $3.03 $3.24

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.82 $3.07

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



## Page 4

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (RELATIVE TO GASOLINE)

Average prices for compressed

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

## 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 New England $2.28 / 0.70 11 $2.86 / 0.21 Natural Gas (CNG) Information

Reported by Clean Cities ($/GGE) Regular Gasoline Information

Reported by Clean Cities ($/gal)

of Price of Price A verage Price/ Number of Data A verage Price/ Number of Data

Standard Deviation Points Standard Deviation Points

44



## from Clean Cities Coordinators, Central Atlantic $2.11 / 0.44 51 $2.72 / 0.60 23 

## fuel providers, and other

Lower Atlantic $1.76 / 0.51 9 $2.73 / 0.09 44 

## stakeholders on a voluntary basis.

Over 260 CNG prices were Midwest $1.76 / 0.32 23 $2.78 / 0.13 141



## collected in this report. 6

Gulf Coast $1.98 / 0.56 5 $2.61 / 0.12 36

Rocky Mountain $1.59 / 0.20 82 $2.76 / 0.13 83 

## As Table 5 illustrates by region,

CNG has a lower price than West Coast $2.17 / 0.34 81 $2.98 / 0.28 49



## gasoline for all regions of the

NATIONAL AVERAGE $1.93 / 0.44 262 $2.78 / 0.23 420 

## country for which prices were

obtained, with the largest

difference ($1.17 per GGE) being in the Rocky Mountain region. On average, CNG costs about $0.85 less than gasoline on a per

gasoline gallon equivalent basis. Variability of CNG prices was higher (based on a standard deviation analysis) than variabilit y of

gasoline prices.

The map to the right illustrates some cost

differentials by state for natural gas relative 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. States 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 for most states across the country,

especially on the West Coast, as well as the

Rocky Mountain, Atlantic, and New England

regions.

6 Prices for CNG were provided by the indi vidual stakeholders in gasoline gallon equivalents from the “price at the pump.” It sh ould be noted that the internal conversion factor between the

physical quantities of gas delivered and gasoline gallon equivale nt was not collected from each of the refueling stations. Regi onal differences in gas heat content relative to the internal pump

conversion factor may change the price per gasoline gallon equivalent: these differences were not determined for this report, h owever.



## Page 5

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (RELATIVE TO DIESEL) 7



## Average prices for compressed Table 6. Compressed Natural Gas Average Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources 

## 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 Natural Gas (CNG) Information

Reported by Clean Cities ($/DGE) Diesel Information

Reported by Clean Cities ($/gal)

of Price of Price A verage Price/ Number of Data A verage Price / Number of Data

Standard Deviation Points Standard Deviation Points

New England $2.54 / 0.78 11 $3.09 / 0.17 37 

## sources is also shown. These

prices were collected from across Central Atlantic $2.35 / 0.49 51 $3.11 / 0.20 39



## the country from Clean Cities

Lower Atlantic $1.96 / 0.56 9 $3.04 / 0.20 43 

## Coordinators, fuel providers, and

Midwest $1.97 / 0.35 23 $3.02 / 0.11 102 

## other stakeholders on a voluntary

basis. Note that the CNG prices in Gulf Coast $2.21 / 0.62 5 $2.93 / 0.11 23 

## Table 6 are the same group of Rocky Mountain $1.77 / 0.22 82 $3.01 / 0.09 65 

## prices as for Table 5, but

converted to a cost per diesel West Coast $2.41 / 0.38 81 $3.27 / 0.27 62



## gallon equivalent basis, in order NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.15 / 0.49 262 $3.07 / 0.20 371 

## to compare direc tly with diesel

prices.

As Table 6 illustrates by region, CNG has a lower price than diesel for all regions of the country, with the largest difference ($1.24 per

DGE) being in the Rocky Mountain region. On average, CNG costs about $0.92 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 rela tive to

diesel fuel.

The map to the right illustrates 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 hi ghlighted 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 states, as the

map shows.

7 A total of 5 LNG price points were collected with an average fuel price of $2.03 per gallon.



## Page 6

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# ETHANOL (E85)

Average prices for ethanol in an Table 7. Ethanol (E85) Average Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources 

## 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. Ethanol (E85) Information

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

Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal)

of Price of Price A verage Price/ Number of Data A verage Price/ Number of Data

Standard Deviation Points Standard Deviation Points

New England $2.62 /

‐

. ‐‐ 1 $2.86 / 0.21 44 

## These prices were collected from

across the country from Clean Central Atlantic $2.43 / 0.22 69 $2.72 / 0.60 23



## Cities Coordinators, fuel

Lower Atlantic $2.43 / 0.37 54 $2.73 / 0.09 44 

## providers, and other stakeholders

Midwest $2.42 / 0.17 110 $2.78 / 0.13 141 

## on a voluntary basis. A total of

382 prices for ethanol were Gulf Coast $2.34 / 0.15 25 $2.61 / 0.12 36



## collected in this data collection Rocky Mountain $2.35 / 0.18 70 $2.76 / 0.13 83 

## effort.

West Coast $2.64 / 0.19 53 $2.98 / 0.28 49



## Note that E85 has a lower NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.44 / 0.24 382 $2.78 / 0.23 420 

## average price per gallon than

regular gasoline for all regions

(see Table 7). On average, E85 is about 34 cents lower in price than regular gasoline on a per-gallon basis, with the largest a verage

differential (41 cents) being found in the Rocky Mountain region. Based on the calculated standard deviations in this set of E8 5 price

information, it can be seen that price variability for E85 was somewhat higher than the price variability for gasoline for the period.

The map to the right illustrates some cost

differentials between 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.

Page 7

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# 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.

Just under 190 propane prices

were collected in this reporting

period. 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)

A verage Price/

Standard Deviation

of Price Number of Data

Points A verage Price/

Standard Deviation

of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $3.31 / 0.42 9 $2.86 / 0.21 44

Central Atlantic $3.10 / 0.74 37 $2.72 / 0.60 23

Lower Atlantic $2.84 / 0.65 21 $2.73 / 0.09 44

Midwest $2.95 / 0.86 33 $2.78 / 0.13 141

Gulf Coast $2.61 / 0.69 12 $2.61 / 0.12 36

Rocky Mountain $2.52 / 0.41 37 $2.76 / 0.13 83 

## As Table 8 illustrates regionally,

propane prices are somewhat West Coast $2.80 / 0.76 40 $2.98 / 0.28 49



## higher than gasoline in most NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.85 / 0.72 189 $2.78 / 0.23 420 

## regions and lower in others.

Overall, propane was about 7

cents per gallon more than gasoline. Based on calculations of stan dard 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 for each state (versus the

regional averages illustrated in Table 8). In

this map, negative numbers represent costs for

propane lower than co sts for gasoline, and

positive numbers represent propane prices

higher than gasoline. States not highlighted

with a color did not have any propane data

points in the current re port. Propane prices

were most favorable on the West Coast.

8 Prices for propane in this report are from both private fleet refueling stations and public refueling sites that can provide p ropane for vehicles and for other us es. The prices at private stations

are generally lower, and may be more representative of the prices the majority of propane vehicle users pay.



## Page 8

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# 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. Over 135

prices were obtained for B20

across the country. 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)

A verage Price/

Standard Deviation

of Price A pproximate

Number of Stations A verage Price/

Standard Deviation

of Price A pproximate

Number of Stations

New England $3.03 / 0.22 15 $3.09 / 0.17 37

Central Atlantic $2.97 / 0.35 16 $3.11 / 0.20 39

Lower Atlantic $3.07 / 0.26 17 $3.04 / 0.20 43

Midwest $3.03 / 0.16 36 $3.02 / 0.11 102

Gulf Coast $3.08 / 0.22 7 $2.93 / 0.11 23

Rocky Mountain $3.19 / 0.20 18 $3.01 / 0.09 65

West Coast $3.46 / 0.48 28 $3.27 / 0.27 62 

## As Table 9 illustrates, biodiesel

in a B20 blend has an average NATIONAL AVERAGE $3.14 / 0.34 137 $3.07 / 0.20 371 

## price per gallon that is somewhat

more than conventional diesel

fuel in most regions (ranging from 14 cent less to 19 cents more per gallon). Based on calculations of standard deviation on B2 0

prices, variability in B20 prices was larger than the variability in price of conventional diesel by region. On average in the U.S.,

biodiesel in a B20 blend costs about 7 cents 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 pergallon basis, based on differentials between

biodiesel prices and gasoline 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 higher 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 nu mber of states located

around the country including the Midwest,

Central Atlantic, and New England regions.

Page 9‐ 

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# BIODIESEL BLENDS: B100/B99

Average prices for high-level Table 10. Biodiesel (B99

‐ B100) Average Prices by Region from Clean Cities Sources 

## blends of biodiesel (99% or

100% biodiesel with diesel fuel)

are illustrated in Table 10,

grouped by region. Information

on prices for regular diesel as

provided by Clean Cities Biodiesel (B99 B100) Information

Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal) Diesel Information

Reported by Clean Cities ($ per gal)

of Price of Price A verage Price/ Number of Data A verage Price/ Number of Data

Standard Deviation Points Standard Deviation Points

New England $2.65 /

‐

. ‐‐ 1 $3.09 / 0.17 37 

## representatives is also shown.

These prices were collected Central Atlantic $3.59 / 0.38 7 $3.11 / 0.20 39 

## from across the country from

Lower Atlantic $3.84 / 0.42 3 $3.04 / 0.20 43 

## Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel

providers, and other Midwest $3.55 / 0.85 2 $3.02 / 0.11 102



## stakeholders on a voluntary Gulf Coast $3.99 / 1.01 3 $2.93 / 0.11 23 

## basis. A total of 47 price points

Rocky Mountain $4.09 / 1.00 4 $3.01 / 0.09 65 

## were collected from stations

offering B99/B100 for sale West Coast $3.87 / 0.48 27 $3.27 / 0.27 62



## across the country. NATIONAL AVERAGE $3.82 / 0.58 47 $3.07 / 0.20 371



## As Table 10 illustrates

regionally, the cost of B99/B100 is generally more than the cost of diesel fuel per gallon in the regions for which data were c ollected,

up to $1.08 more than diesel. On average across the nation, B99/B 100 is about 75 cents per gallon higher than regular diesel. B ased on

standard deviation calculations on these price points, it appears th at 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 biodiesel

blends and regular diesel on a per-gallon

basis, based on differentials between biodiesel

prices and gasoline 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 available for this report, prices for

B100 were favorable in three states located in

the Midwest, Rocky Mountain, and New

England regions.

Page 10

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# COMPARISON OF PRICES OF THIS REPORT VERSUS LAST REPORT

Table 11 below summarizes the average prices collected for this re port by region, and compares them to prices collected in the Price

Report from July 2010. 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 October 2010 Period Price for July 2010 Period Price Differential

October vs. July

Gasoline ($ per gallon) National Average $2.78 $2.71 $0.07 / 2%

New England $2.86 $2.81 $0.05 / 2%

Central Atlantic $2.72 $2.72 $

‐

. ‐‐ / 0%

Lower Atlantic $2.73 $2.56 $0.17 / 6%

Midwest $2.78 $2.65 $0.13 / 5%

Gulf Coast $2.61 $2.59 $0.02 / 1%

Rocky Mountain $2.76 $2.72 $0.04 / 1%

West Coast $2.98 $3.01 ($0.03) / (1%)

Diesel ($ per gallon) National Average $3.07 $2.95 $0.12 / 4%

New England $3.09 $3.04 $0.05 / 2%

Central Atlantic $3.11 $3.01 $0.10 / 3%

Lower Atlantic $3.04 $2.85 $0.19 / 7%

Midwest $3.02 $2.88 $0.14 / 5%

Gulf Coast $2.93 $2.83 $0.10 / 3%

Rocky Mountain $3.01 $2.97 $0.04 / 1%

West Coast $3.27 $3.09 $0.18 / 6%

Compressed Natural Gas ($ per GGE) National Average $1.93 $1.91 $0.02 / 1%

New England $2.28 $2.33 ($0.05) / (2%)

Central Atlantic $2.11 $2.15 ($0.04) / (2%)

Lower Atlantic $1.76 $1.85 ($0.09) / (5%)

Midwest $1.76 $1.70 $0.06 / 4%

Gulf Coast $1.98 $1.83 $0.15 / 8%

Rocky Mountain $1.59 $1.57 $0.02 / 1%

West Coast $2.17 $2.12 $0.05 / 2%

Ethanol (E85) ($ per gallon) National Average $2.44 $2.30 $0.14 / 6%

New England $2.62 $2.39 $0.23 / 10%

Central Atlantic $2.43 $2.34 $0.09 / 4%

Lower Atlantic $2.43 $2.39 $0.04 / 2%

Midwest $2.42 $2.23 $0.19 / 9%

Gulf Coast $2.34 $2.23 $0.11 / 5%

Rocky Mountain $2.35 $2.18 $0.17 / 8%

West Coast $2.64 $2.55 $0.09 / 3%



## Page 11

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010

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

Price for October 2010 Period Price for July 2010 Period Price Differential

October vs. July

Propane ($ per gallon) National Average $2.85 $2.90 ($0. 0 5 ) / (2%)

New England $3.31 $3.17 $0.14 / 4%

Central Atlantic $3.10 $3.49 ($0.39) / (11%)

Lower Atlantic $2.84 $2.69 $0.15 / 5%

Midwest $2.95 $2.89 $0.06 / 2%

Gulf Coast $2.61 $2.60 $0.01 / 0%

Rocky Mountain $2.52 $2.67 ($0.15) / (6%)

West Coast $2.80 $2.84 ($0.04) / (2%)

Biodiesel (B20) ($ per gallon) National Average $3.14 $3.06 $0.08 / 3%

New England $3.03 $3.07 ($0.04) / (1%)

Central Atlantic $2.97 $3.02 ($0.05) / (2%)

Lower Atlantic $3.07 $2.91 $0.16 / 5%

Midwest $3.03 $2.90 $0.13 / 4%

Gulf Coast $3.08 $2.79 $0.29 / 10%

Rocky Mountain $3.19 $3.06 $0.13 / 4%

West Coast $3.46 $3.36 $0.10 / 3%

Biodiesel (B99

‐ B100) ($ per gallon) National Average $3.82 $3.75 $0.07 / 2%

New England $2.65 $2.65 $

‐

. ‐‐ / 0%

Central Atlantic $3.59 $4.28 ($0.69) / (16%)

Lower Atlantic $3.84 $3.58 $0.26 / 7%

Midwest $3.55 $4.02 ($0.47) / (12%)

Gulf Coast $3.99 $2.98 $1.01 / 34%

Rocky Mountain $4.09 $3.59 $0.50 / 14%

West Coast $3.87 $3.73 $0.14 / 4%



## Page 12

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



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

Table 12 below summarizes the comparison of prices for all of th e fuels included in this report, separated into averages for st ations

open to the public (public refueling stations) and stations availa ble only to selected fleets or privately-owned stations (priv ate refueling

stations). Private fleet fueling stations can typically negotiate prices lower than retail public stations, if they are willing to commit to

purchasing large quantities of fuel over an extended period of time. However, private fleet pricing can sometimes be higher tha n retail

public stations if there are unusual circumstances (remote loca tions, sites that use very small quantities of fuel, or special contracts

where unique billing & accounting services or fleet service management fees ar e rolled into 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 prot ocols

outlined at the beginning of this document.

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

Private Refueling Station Average

Price Public Refueling Station Average

Price

Gasoline ($/gallon) National Average $2.92 $2.78

New England $2.97 $2.85

Central Atlantic $

‐

. ‐‐ $2.72

Lower Atlantic $2.77 $2.73

Midwest $

‐

. ‐‐ $2.78

Gulf Coast $

‐

. ‐‐ $2.61

Rocky Mountain $2.77 $2.75

West Coast $3.09 $2.98

Diesel ($/gallon) National Average $3.11 $3.07

New England $3.03 $3.10

Central Atlantic $3.26 $3.09

Lower Atlantic $3.04 $3.04

Midwest $2.67 $3.02

Gulf Coast $

‐

. ‐‐ $2.93

Rocky Mountain $2.98 $3.01

West Coast $3.33 $3.26

Natural Gas (CNG) ($/GGE) National Average $1.72 $2.03

New England $1.61 $2.43

Central Atlantic $2.03 $2.22

Lower Atlantic $1.73 $1.77

Midwest $1.71 $1.78

Gulf Coast $

‐

. ‐‐ $1.98

Rocky Mountain $1.52 $1.67

West Coast $1.74 $2.20

Ethanol (E85) ($/gallon) National Average $2.57 $2.43

New England $

‐

. ‐‐ $2.62

Central Atlantic $2.60 $2.42

Lower Atlantic $2.31 $2.43

Midwest $2.52 $2.42

Gulf Coast $

‐

. ‐‐ $2.33

Rocky Mountain $2.01 $2.36

West Coast $3.35 $2.63

Propane ($/gallon) National Average $2.13 $2.88

New England $

‐

. ‐‐ $3.30

Central Atlantic $1.85 $3.30

Lower Atlantic $1.99 $2.88

Midwest $2.04 $3.01

Gulf Coast $

‐

. ‐‐ $2.61

Rocky Mountain $

‐

. ‐‐ $2.52

West Coast $3.86 $2.77



## Page 13

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010

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

Private Refueling Station Average

Price Public Refueling Station Average

Price

Biodiesel (B20) ($/gallon) National Average $2.97 $3.17

New England $2.75 $3.13

Central Atlantic $2.90 $3.10

Lower Atlantic $3.22 $3.05

Midwest $2.99 $3.03

Gulf Coast $3.22 $3.05

Rocky Mountain $3.00 $3.20

West Coast $3.34 $3.47

Biodiesel (B99/B100) ($/gallon) National Average $3.88 $3.81

New England $

‐

. ‐‐ $2.65

Central Atlantic $

‐

. ‐‐ $3.59

Lower Atlantic $

‐

. ‐‐ $3.84

Midwest $

‐

. ‐‐ $3.55

Gulf Coast $

‐

. ‐‐ $3.99

Rocky Mountain $

‐

. ‐‐ $4.08

West Coast $3.88 $3.87



## Page 14‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# 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

gasoline 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 $4.50Sep05Jan06May06Sep06Jan07May07Sep07Jan08May08Sep08Jan09May09Sep09Jan10May10Sep10PriceperGallon

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 $5.50Sep05Jan06May06Sep06Jan07May07Sep07Jan08May08Sep08Jan09May09Sep09Jan10May10Sep10PriceperGallon

Diesel

Natural Gas (DGE)

Biodiesel (B20)

Biodiesel (B2/B5)

Biodiesel (B99/B100) Alternative

Fuel Prices

versus

Diesel



## Page 15

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010

.



# ILLUSTRATION OF CONVERSION FACTORS FOR FUELS

The standard lower heating values for fuels from the Tr ansportation Energy Data Book 26 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 factor.

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



## Page 16

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report October 2010



# ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge all of the contributors from the Clean Cities community who have provided prices for this

report: we sincerely appreciate your continued dedication to th e success of this report. The au thors would also like to acknowl edge 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 rep ort, please

contact:

Michael D. Laughlin

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. Go vernment nor any agency thereof,

nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the ac curacy,

completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe

privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commerci al product, process, or serv ice by trade name, trademark,

manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S.

Government or any agency thereo f. The views and opinions of authors expressed he rein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the

U.S. Government or any agency thereof.

Page 17