# Clean Cities

Alternative Fuel Price Report

April 2010

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

Page 2 

# WELCOME!

Welcome to the April 2010 issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fu el Price Report, a quarterly report designed to keep you up t o date

on the prices of alternative fuels and conventional fuels in the U.S. This issue summarizes prices that were collected between

April 2, 2010 and April 12, 2010 from Clean Cities Coordina tors, 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 April 2, 2010

and April 12, 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 Defens e 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 federal and state motor fuel taxes. In some cas es, prices were collected from

government or utility refueling facilities and these taxes were not included in the reported price. In these instances, althoug h these

users are not required to pay these taxes, the taxes were added to the reported price to provide a more representative basis fo r

comparison of fuel prices for th e purpose of this report. In some cases, states may charge a flat annual fee for motor fuel tax es

(especially for gaseous fuels like compressed natural gas): these fe es are not considered in the prices reported in these pages

.

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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, propane)

higher and some (E85 and CNG) lower. CNG

is about 95 cents less than gasoline on an

energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about

42 cents less per gallon than gasoline.

Propane is about 5 cents per gallon more than

gasoline. B20 prices are higher than regular

diesel by about 10 cents. B99/B100 blends

have a cost of about 55 cents per gallon more

than regular diesel. 2



## Relative to the last report from January 2010, the average prices for most of the fuels included in this price report have incr eased by as

much as 19 cents. It should be noted that the price increases or decreases could be attributed both to an actual increase in pr ice and to a

slightly differing sample of pr ices (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 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

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

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 differentia l 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 r eceived: average price for hydrogen was $13.67 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. 

### 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) $2.84 $2.65 $0.19 per gallon

Diesel $3.02 $2.87 $0.15 per gallon

CNG $1.90 $1.85 $0.05 per GGE

Ethanol (E85) $2.42 $2.38 $0.04 per gallon

Propane $2.89 $2.99 ($0.10) per gallon

Biodiesel (B20) $3.12 $2.96 $0.16 per gallon

Biodiesel (B99

‐ B100) $3.57 $3.59 ($0.02) per gallon



### Table 2. April 2010 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 $2.84 $3.17 $24.60

Diesel $2.71 $3.02 $23.50

CNG $1.90 $2.12 $16.48

Ethanol (E85) $3.42 $3.81 $29.60

Propane $3.99 $4.45 $34.57

Biodiesel (B20) $2.85 $3.18 $24.68

Biodiesel (B99

‐ B100) $3.52 $3.92 $30.48

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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 re fueling stations

selling both conventional fuels

and alternative fuels, and from

conventional fuel refueling

stations near alternative fuel

stations. There were 407 price

points collected for gasoline and

366 for diesel, with average

prices for gasoline ranging from

a low of $2.71 per gallon on the

Gulf Coast to a high of $3.02 per

gallon on the West Coast. Diesel prices ra nged from $2.91 in the Lower Atlantic regi on and $3.15 on the West Coast. Because pri ces

for conventional fuels were collected from stations and regions providing alternative fuel price information, data collection w as not

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.

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)

A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $2.88 / 0.18 42 $3.09 / 0.15 39

Central Atlantic $2.90 / 0.13 24 $3.08 / 0.19 39

Lower Atlantic $2.75 / 0.13 44 $2.91 / 0.14 58

Midwest $2.84 / 0.15 138 $3.00 / 0.14 90

Gulf Coast $2.71 / 0.09 28 $2.93 / 0.13 22

Rocky Mountain $2.80 / 0.15 84 $3.01 / 0.10 68

West Coast $3.02 / 0.17 47 $3.15 / 0.19 50

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.84 / 0.17 407 $3.02 / 0.16 366



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

Gasoline Average

Price from EIA,

Week of 4/12/10 Diesel Average

Price from EIA,

Week of 4/12/10

New England $2.84 $3.09

Central Atlantic $2.84 $3.19

Lower Atlantic $2.82 $3.04

Midwest $2.83 $3.05

Gulf Coast $2.75 $3.02

Rocky Mountain $2.86 $3.08

West Coast $3.06 $3.19

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.86 $3.07

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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.

Just over 350 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 ($1.49 per GGE) being in the Rocky Mountain region. On average, CNG costs about $0.94 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 in the Midw est and areas of the

Lower Atlantic and Rocky Mountain 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. 

### 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)

A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number o f Data

Points A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $2.20 / 0.75 11 $2.88 / 0.18 42

Central Atlantic $2.21 / 0.38 57 $2.90 / 0.13 24

Lower Atlantic $1.82 / 0.30 9 $2.75 / 0.13 44

Midwest $1.73 / 0.38 25 $2.84 / 0.15 138

Gulf Coast $2.06 / 0.30 22 $2.71 / 0.09 28

Rocky Mountain $1.31 / 0.59 102 $2.80 / 0.15 84

West Coast $2.23 / 0.32 126 $3.02 / 0.17 47

NATIONAL AVERAGE $1.90 / 0.60 352 $2.84 / 0.17 407

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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

prices 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 direc tly with diesel

prices.

As Table 6 illustrates by region, CNG has a lower price than diesel for most regions of the country, with the largest differenc e ($1.55 per DGE) being in the Rocky Mountain region. On average, CNG costs about $0.90 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 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 9 LNG price points were collected with an average fuel price of $2.16 per gallon. 

### Table 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)

A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $2.45 / 0.84 11 $3.09 / 0.15 39

Central Atlantic $2.46 / 0.43 57 $3.08 / 0.19 39

Lower Atlantic $2.03 / 0.33 9 $2.91 / 0.14 58

Midwest $1.93 / 0.42 25 $3.00 / 0.14 90

Gulf Coast $2.30 / 0.33 22 $2.93 / 0.13 22

Rocky Mountain $1.46 / 0.65 102 $3.01 / 0.10 68

West Coast $2.49 / 0.36 126 $3.15 / 0.19 50

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.12 / 0.66 352 $3.02 / 0.16 366

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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

361 prices for ethanol were

collected in this data collection

effort.

Note that E85 has a lower

average price per gallon than

regular gasoline for all regions

(see Table 7). On average, E85 is about 42 cents lower in price than regular gasoline on a per-gallon basis, with the largest a verage

differential (51 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 ava ilable: the best pricing

was on the West Coast and in the Midwest and

Central Atlantic regions. 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)

A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $2.39 /

‐

. ‐‐ 1 $2.88 / 0.18 42

Central Atlantic $2.45 / 0.32 50 $2.90 / 0.13 24

Lower Atlantic $2.48 / 0.17 50 $2.75 / 0.13 44

Midwest $2.37 / 0.25 115 $2.84 / 0.15 138

Gulf Coast $2.40 / 0.23 25 $2.71 / 0.09 28

Rocky Mountain $2.29 / 0.26 68 $2.80 / 0.15 84

West Coast $2.60 / 0.19 52 $3.02 / 0.17 47

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.42 / 0.26 361 $2.84 / 0.17 407

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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.

Just over 165 propane prices

were collected in this reporting

period.

As Table 8 illustrates regionally,

propane prices are somewhat

higher than gasoline in most

regions and lower in others.

Overall, propane was about 5

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 in the Lower Atlantic and

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. 

### 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 / 0.59 11 $2.88 / 0.18 42

Central Atlantic $3.29 / 1.15 14 $2.90 / 0.13 24

Lower Atlantic $2.83 / 0.61 15 $2.75 / 0.13 44

Midwest $2.93 / 0.77 31 $2.84 / 0.15 138

Gulf Coast $2.85 / 0.66 25 $2.71 / 0.09 28

Rocky Mountain $2.70 / 0.51 34 $2.80 / 0.15 84

West Coast $2.80 / 0.71 37 $3.02 / 0.17 47

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.89 / 0.72 167 $2.84 / 0.17 407

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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. Over 145

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

more than conventional diesel

fuel in most regions (ranging from 1 cent less to 18 cents more per gallon). Based on calculations of standard deviation on B20 prices,

variability in B20 prices was larger than the variability in pri ce of conventional diesel by region. On average in the U.S., bi odiesel in a

B20 blend costs about 10 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 number of areas

including the Midwest and parts of the Central

Atlantic region where data was available. 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 $3.08 / 0.21 14 $3.09 / 0.15 39

Central Atlantic $3.16 / 0.44 19 $3.08 / 0.19 39

Lower Atlantic $2.98 / 0.22 19 $2.91 / 0.14 58

Midwest $3.00 / 0.15 34 $3.00 / 0.14 90

Gulf Coast $2.99 / 0.14 9 $2.93 / 0.13 22

Rocky Mountain $3.15 / 0.15 18 $3.01 / 0.10 68

West Coast $3.33 / 0.35 33 $3.15 / 0.19 50

NATIONAL AVERAGE $3.12 / 0.30 146 $3.02 / 0.16 366

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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 10,

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. More than 45 price points

were collected from stations

offering B99/B100 for sale

across the country.

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 76 cents more than diesel. On average across the nation, B99/B100 is about 55 cents 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 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. Prices

for B100 were favorable in several states for

this report. 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)

A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points A verage Price

/ Standard

Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points

New England $2.69 /

‐

. ‐‐ 1 $3.09 / 0.15 39

Central Atlantic $3.80 / 0.71 8 $3.08 / 0.19 39

Lower Atlantic $3.33 / 0.30 5 $2.91 / 0.14 58

Midwest $2.72 /

‐

. ‐‐ 1 $3.00 / 0.14 90

Gulf Coast $3.03 / 0.06 2 $2.93 / 0.13 22

Rocky Mountain $3.77 / 1.12 4 $3.01 / 0.10 68

West Coast $3.62 / 0.35 25 $3.15 / 0.19 50

NATIONAL AVERAGE $3.57 / 0.55 46 $3.02 / 0.16 366

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

Page 11 

# 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 January 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 April 2010 Period Price for January 2010 Period Price Differential A pri l vs.

January

Gasoline ($ per gallon) National Average $2.84 $2.65 $0.19 / 7%

New England $2.88 $2.76 $0.12 / 4%

Central Atlantic $2.90 $2.79 $0.11 / 4%

Lower Atlantic $2.75 $2.63 $0.12 / 4%

Midwest $2.84 $2.60 $0.24 / 9%

Gulf Coast $2.71 $2.56 $0.16 / 6%

Rocky Mountain $2.80 $2.49 $0.31 / 13%

West Coast $3.02 $2.84 $0.18 / 6%

Diesel ($ per gallon) National Average $3.02 $2.87 $0.16 / 6%

New England $3.09 $3.01 $0.09 / 3%

Central Atlantic $3.08 $2.98 $0.10 / 3%

Lower Atlantic $2.91 $2.81 $0.10 / 4%

Midwest $3.00 $2.78 $0.23 / 8%

Gulf Coast $2.93 $2.77 $0.16 / 6%

Rocky Mountain $3.01 $2.80 $0.21 / 8%

West Coast $3.15 $2.98 $0.16 / 5%

Compressed Natural Gas ($ per GGE) National Average $1.90 $1.85 $0.05 / 3%

New England $2.20 $2.30 ($0.10) / (4%)

Central Atlantic $2.21 $2.10 $0.11 / 5%

Lower Atlantic $1.82 $1.74 $0.08 / 5%

Midwest $1.73 $1.73 N/A

Gulf Coast $2.06 $1.98 $0.09 / 4%

Rocky Mountain $1.31 $1.26 $0.05 / 4%

West Coast $2.23 $2.24 ($0.01) / (1%)

Ethanol (E85) ($ per gallon) National Average $2.42 $2.38 $0.04 / 2%

New England $2.39 $3.16 ($0.77) / (24%)

Central Atlantic $2.45 $2.49 ($0.04) / (2%)

Lower Atlantic $2.48 $2.47 $0.01 / 0%

Midwest $2.37 $2.34 $0.04 / 2%

Gulf Coast $2.40 $2.38 $0.02 / 1%

Rocky Mountain $2.29 $2.25 $0.04 / 2%

West Coast $2.60 $2.42 $0.18 / 7%

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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

Price for April 2010 Period Price for January 2010 Period Price Differential A pri l vs.

January

Propane ($ per gallon) National Average $2.89 $2.99 ($0.10 ) / (3%)

New England $3.31 $3.67 ($0.36) / (10%)

Central Atlantic $3.29 $3.35 ($0.06) / (2%)

Lower Atlantic $2.83 $3.12 ($0.29) / (9%)

Midwest $2.93 $2.88 $0.05 / 2%

Gulf Coast $2.85 $2.90 ($0.04) / (2%)

Rocky Mountain $2.70 $2.47 $0.23 / 9%

West Coast $2.80 $3.18 ($0.38) / (12%)

Biodiesel (B20) ($ per gallon) National Average $3.12 $2.96 $0.16 / 5%

New England $3.08 $3.00 $0.08 / 3%

Central Atlantic $3.16 $3.07 $0.09 / 3%

Lower Atlantic $2.98 $2.83 $0.15 / 5%

Midwest $3.00 $2.78 $0.22 / 8%

Gulf Coast $2.99 $2.86 $0.14 / 5%

Rocky Mountain $3.15 $2.91 $0.24 / 8%

West Coast $3.33 $3.17 $0.17 / 5%

Biodiesel (B99

‐ B100) ($ per gallon) National Average $3.57 $3.59 ($0.02) / (1%)

New England $2.69 $2.49 $0.20 / 8%

Central Atlantic $3.80 $3.94 ($0.14) / (4%)

Lower Atlantic $3.33 $3.27 $0.06 / 2%

Midwest $2.72

‐

. ‐‐ N/A

Gulf Coast $3.03 $3.49 ($0.46) / (13%)

Rocky Mountain $3.77 $4.72 ($0.95) / (20%)

West Coast $3.62 $3.47 $0.15 / 4%

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

Page 13 

# 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 $2.77 $2.84

New England $2.74 $2.89

Central Atlantic

‐

. ‐‐ $2.90

Lower Atlantic $2.76 $2.75

Midwest

‐

. ‐‐ $2.84

Gulf Coast

‐

. ‐‐ $2.71

Rocky Mountain $2.82 $2.80

West Coast

‐

. ‐‐ $3.02

Diesel ($/gallon) National Average $3.10 $3.02

New England $3.24 $3.08

Central Atlantic $3.30 $3.04

Lower Atlantic $2.89 $2.91

Midwest $2.67 $3.01

Gulf Coast

‐

. ‐‐ $2.93

Rocky Mountain $2.90 $3.02

West Coast $3.07 $3.15

Natural Gas (CNG) ($/GGE) National Average $1.44 $2.05

New England $2.30 $2.17

Central Atlantic $2.11 $2.30

Lower Atlantic

‐

. ‐‐ $1.82

Midwest $1.24 $1.86

Gulf Coast

‐

. ‐‐ $2.06

Rocky Mountain $0.96 $1.58

West Coast $1.79 $2.26

Ethanol (E85) ($/gallon) National Average $2.37 $2.42

New England

‐

. ‐‐ $2.39

Central Atlantic $2.44 $2.45

Lower Atlantic $2.22 $2.49

Midwest $2.38 $2.37

Gulf Coast

‐

. ‐‐ $2.39

Rocky Mountain $2.15 $2.29

West Coast $2.69 $2.59

Propane ($/gallon) National Average $2.04 $2.92

New England

‐

. ‐‐ $3.31

Central Atlantic $1.76 $3.90

Lower Atlantic $1.83 $2.90

Midwest $1.89 $2.96

Gulf Coast

‐

. ‐‐ $2.85

Rocky Mountain

‐

. ‐‐ $2.70

West Coast $3.51 $2.78

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

Page 14 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 $3.01 $3.13

New England $2.87 $3.13

Central Atlantic $3.02 $3.32

Lower Atlantic $3.09 $2.97

Midwest $2.91 $3.00

Gulf Coast

‐

. ‐‐ $2.99

Rocky Mountain $2.91 $3.16

West Coast $3.24 $3.34

Biodiesel (B99/B100) ($/gallon) National Average $3.50 $3.58

New England

‐

. ‐‐ $2.69

Central Atlantic $3.10 $3.89

Lower Atlantic $3.37 $3.32

Midwest

‐

. ‐‐ $2.72

Gulf Coast

‐

. ‐‐ $3.03

Rocky Mountain

‐

. ‐‐ $3.77

West Coast $3.67 $3.62

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

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

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 $4.50Sep‐05Jan‐06May‐06Sep‐06Jan‐07May‐07Sep‐07Jan‐08May‐08Sep‐08Jan‐09May‐09Sep‐09Jan‐10PriceperGallon

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‐10PriceperGallon

Diesel

Natural Gas (DGE)

Biodiesel (B20)

Biodiesel (B2/B5)

Biodiesel (B99/B100) Alternative

Fuel Prices

versus

Diesel

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

Page 16 

# 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

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report April 2010

Page 17 

# 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)

mlaughlin@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 impl y 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.