# Clean Cities
Alternative Fuel Price Report

January 2010

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

Page 2 

# WELCOME!

Welcome to the January 20 10 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 January 19, 2010 and January 29, 2010 from Clean Cities Coordinators, fuel providers, and other Clean Cities stakeholders.



# METHODOLOGY

In order to collect price in formation for both

alternative fuels and conventional fuels from areas across the country, Clean Cities Coordinators, 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 colle cted from public and private refueling stations throughout the

country , and were collected between January 19, 2010 and January 29, 2010

. Prices were then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within

reg ions (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 Federal and state motor fuel taxes

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

. In these instances, althou gh these users are not required to pay these taxes, the taxes were added to the reported price to provide a more representative 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 CNG): these fees are not considered in the prices reported in these pages.

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

Page 3 

# SUMMARY OF CURRENT REPORT INFORMATION

Overall nationwide average prices for

conventional and alternative fuels are shown

in T able 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 80 cents less than gasoline on a n

energy

- equivalent basis, while E85 is about

28 c ents less per gallon than gasoline

. Propane is about 34 cent s per gallon more than gasoline. B20 prices are higher than regular diesel by about 10 cent s

. B99/B100

blends have a cost of about 73 cents per gallon more than regular diesel

. 2



### Relative to the l ast report from October 200 9

, the average prices for most of the fuels included in this price report have increased by as much as 41 cents

. It should be noted that the price increase s 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 differi ng 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 gasolin e

gallon equivalent

, per diesel gallon equivalent

, 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 th e 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 diff erential 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 $19.55 per gge 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 su bsequent reports.

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

4 For ethanol flexi ble

- 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 have 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) $2.65 $2.64 $0.01 per gallon

Diesel $2.87 $2.79 $0.07 per gallon

CNG $1.85 $1.86 ($0.01) per GGE

Ethanol (E85) $2.38 $2.27 $0.11 per gallon

Propane $2.99 $2.69 $0.30 per gallon

Biodiesel (B20) $2.96 $2.88 $0.08 per gallon

Biodiesel (B99

- B100) $3. 59 $3.19 $0.41 per gallon



### Table 2. January 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 $2.65 $2.96 $22.99

Diesel $2.57 $2.87 $22.26

CNG $1.85 $2.07 $16.07

Ethanol (E85) $3.36 $3.75 $29.13

Propane $4.13 $4.61 $35.81

Biodiesel (B20) $2.70 $3.02 $23.44

Biodiesel (B99

- B100) $3.54 $3.95 $30.67

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

Page 4 

# GASOLINE AND DIESEL PRICES

Average prices for gasoline and diesel as collected by Clean

Cities coordinators and other

stakehol ders ( supplemented where necessary with other

reference sources for conventional fuels) are illustrated

in T able 3

. These prices were collected from refueling stations selling both conventional fuels and alternative fuels, and from

conventional fuel refuel ing

stations near alternative fuel

stations

. There were 340 price points collected for gasoline and

2 23 for diesel

, with average prices for gasoline ranging from

a low of $ 2

. 49 per gallon in the Rocky Mountains to a high of $ 2.84 per gallon on the West Coa st

. Diesel prices ranged from $ 2

. 77 on the Gulf Coast to $ 3.01 in the New England region. Because prices for conventional fuels were collected from stations and regions providing alternative fuel price information, data collection was not uniform across th e regions of the country

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

T able 4 illustrates average prices as provided by the DOE Energy

Information Administration (EIA) on the pe troleum 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

th e station information collected from Clean Cities 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 pric es 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. Averag e 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 $2.76 / 0.17 46 $3.01 / 0.16 36

Central Atlantic $2.79 / 0.17 24 $2.98 / 0.07 12

Lower Atlantic $2.63 / 0.11 43 $2.81 / 0.12 38

Midwest $2.60 / 0.13 97 $2.78 / 0.13 59

Gulf Coast $ 2.56 / 0.07 26 $2.77 / 0.09 17

Rocky Mountain $2.49 / 0.37 54 $2.80 / 0.07 27

West Coast $2.84 / 0.51 50 $2.98 / 0.34 34

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.65 / 0.29 340 $2.87 / 0.20 223



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

Gasoline Average

Price from E IA, Week of 1/25/10 Diesel Average Price
from EIA, Week of 1/25/10

New England $2.75 $3.06

Central Atlantic $2.75 $2.99

Lower Atlantic $2.70 $2.82

Midwest $2.62 $2.79

Gulf Coast $2.59 $2.80

Rocky Mountain $2.62 $2.82

West Coast $2.94 $2.92

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.71 $2.83

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

Page 5 

# COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (RELATIVE TO GASOLINE)

Average prices for compressed natural gas 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 3 40 CNG price s 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

. 2 3 per gge) being in the Rocky Mountain region

. On aver age, CNG costs about $ 0

. 80 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
differe ntials 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 Midwest and the Lower Atlantic region , and on the West Coast

.

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 gge was not collected from each of the refueling stations. Regional differences in gas heat content relativ e to the internal pump conversion factor may change the price per gge: these differences were not determined for this report, howe ver. 

### 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

/ Stand ard
Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points Average Price / Standard
Deviation of Price Number of Data Points

New England $2.30 / 0.63 11 $2.76 / 0.17 46

Central Atlantic $2.10 / 0.34 57 $2.79 / 0.17 24

Lower Atlantic $1.74 / 0.28 10 $2.63 / 0.11 43

M idwest $1.73 / 0.33 25 $2.60 / 0.13 97

Gulf Coast $1.98 / 0.38 21 $2.56 / 0.07 26

Rocky Mountain $1.26 / 0.51 103 $2.49 / 0.37 54

West Coast $2.24 / 0.32 114 $2.84 / 0.51 50

NATIONAL AVERAGE $1.85 / 0.58 341 $2.65 / 0.29 340

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 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 directly with diesel prices

.

As Table 6 illustrates by region , CNG has a lower price than diesel for most regions of the countr y , with the largest difference ($ 1

. 40

per d ge) being in the Rocky Mountain region

. On average, CNG costs about $ 0

. 80 less than diesel on a per diesel gallon equivalent

basis

. Based on standard deviation calculations, CNG appears to have had more variabilit y 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 t he 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 compari son 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 $1. 82 per gallon. 

### Table 6. Compressed Natu ral 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 $2.56 / 0.70 11 $3.01 / 0.16 36

Central Atlantic $2.34 / 0.37 57 $2.98 / 0.07 12

Lower Atlantic $1.94 / 0.32 10 $2.81 / 0.12 38

Midwest $1.93 / 0.37 25 $2.78 / 0.13 59

Gulf Coast $2.21 / 0.42 21 $2.77 / 0.09 17

Rocky Mountain $1.40 / 0.57 103 $2.80 / 0.07 27

West Coast $2.50 / 0.36 114 $2.98 / 0.34 34

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.07 / 0.65 341 $2.87 / 0.20 223

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

Page 7 

# ETHANOL (E85)

Average prices for ethanol in an 85% blend with 15% gasoline (E85) are illustrated in T able 7

, grouped by region

. Information

o n prices for regular gasoline as provided by Clean Cities representatives i s also shown

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

. A total of

312 prices for ethanol were

collected in this data collection

effort.

Note that E85 has a lower average price per gallon than regular gasoline for most regions, and higher in other s (see Table 7 )

. On average, E85 is about 28 cents lower in price than regular gasoli ne on a per

- gallon basis, with the largest average differential ( 4 3 cents) being found on 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 somewhat l ower tha n the price variability for gasoline for the period

.

The map to the right illustrates some cost
differential s between E85 and regular gasoline by state , based on differentials between E85 prices and gasoline prices for each state (versus the regional ave rages 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 cur rent
report

. In the time period for this report, E85 cost less per gallon than gasoline for many area s for which prices were available: the best pricing

was on the West Coast and 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 $3.16 / 1.23 2 $2.76 / 0.17 46

Central Atlantic $2.49 / 0.31 41 $2.79 / 0.17 24

Lower Atlantic $2.47 / 0.14 50 $2.63 / 0.11 43

Midwest $2.34 / 0.23 86 $2.60 / 0.13 97

Gulf Coast $2.38 / 0.15 22 $2.56 / 0.07 26

Rocky Mountain $2.25 / 0.17 68 $2.49 / 0.37 54

West Coast $2.42 / 0.32 43 $2.84 / 0.51 50

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.38 / 0.26 312 $2.65 / 0.29 340

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

Page 8 

# PROPANE

Average prices for propane are

illustrated in Table 8 , grouped by

r egion

. 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 basi s

. Just over 175 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 34 cents per gallon more than gaso line

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

. 8



### T he 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 costs 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 report

. Propane prices

were most favorable in parts of the

Intermountain West a nd the Midw est

.

8 Prices for propane in this report are from both private fleet refueling stations and public refueling sites that can provide propane for vehicles and for other uses. 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 Gaso line 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 $3.67 / 0.48 8 $2.76 / 0.17 46

Central Atlantic $3.35 / 0.78 26 $2.79 / 0.17 24

Lower Atlantic $3.12 / 0.56 19 $2.63 / 0.11 43

Midwest $2.88 / 0.85 31 $2.60 / 0.13 97

Gulf Coast $2.90 / 0.34 37 $2.56 / 0.07 26

Rocky Mountain $2.47 / 0.16 29 $2.49 / 0.37 54

West Coast $3.18 / 0.87 26 $2.84 / 0.51 50

NATI ONAL AVERAGE $2.99 / 0.70 176 $2.65 / 0.29 340

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 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

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

. Over 130

p rices were obtained for B20 across the country.

As Table 9 illustrates, biodiesel

in a B20 blend has a n average price per gallon that is somewhat

more than conventional diesel fuel in most regions (ranging from 1 cent l ess 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 price of conventional diesel by region

. On average in the U.S., biodiesel 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

different ials between B20 and 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 9)

. In this map, negative numbers represent costs for B20 lower than co sts 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 ha d favorable pricing in a number of areas including the Midwest and Lower Atlanti c. 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)

Averag e Price

/ Standard
Deviation of Price Approximate Number of Stations Average Price / Standard
Deviation of Price Approximate Number
of Stations

New England $3.00 / 0.20 12 $3.01 / 0.16 36

Central Atlantic $3.07 / 0.43 19 $2.98 / 0.07 12

Lower Atlantic $ 2.83 / 0.25 20 $2.81 / 0.12 38

Midwest $2.78 / 0.15 23 $2.78 / 0.13 59

Gulf Coast $2.86 / 0.13 10 $2.77 / 0.09 17

Rocky Mountain $2.91 / 0.18 18 $2.80 / 0.07 27

West Coast $3.17 / 0.39 32 $2.98 / 0.34 34

NATIONAL AVERAGE $2.96 / 0.32 134 $2.87 / 0.20 223

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 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 1 0

, 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 30 p rice points

were collected from stations offering B99/B100 for sale

across the co untry.

As Table 1 0 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 collected

, up to $ 1 .9 2 more than diesel

. On average across the nation, B99/B100 is about 73 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 in this time period than regular diesel.

The map to the right illustrates some cost

differentia ls 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 1 0 )

. In this map, negative numbers

repres ent 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)

Average Price

/ Standard
Deviation of Price Number of Data

Points Average Price / Standard
Deviation of Price Number of Data Points

New England $2.49 /

-

. -- 1 $3.01 / 0.16 36

Central Atlantic $3.94 / 0.80 7 $2.98 / 0.07 12

Lower Atlantic $3.27 / 0.43 3 $2.81 / 0.12 38

Midwest

-

. -- /

-

. -- 0 $2.78 / 0.13 59

Gulf Coast $3.49 /

-

. -- 1 $2.77 / 0.09 17

Rocky Mountain $4.72 / 1.08 2 $2.80 / 0.07 27

West Coast $3.47 / 0.42 21 $2.98 / 0.34 34

NATIONAL AVERAGE $3.59 / 0.64 35 $2.87 / 0.20 223

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

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 th e Price Report from October 2 00 9

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

compo sition between the two reports.

Table 11

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

Price for January 20 1 0 Period Price for October 2009 Period Price Differential January vs.
October

Gasoline ($ per gallon) National Average $2.65 $2.64 $0.01 / 0%

New England $2.76 $2.65 $0.11 / 4%

Central Atlantic $2.79 $2.69 $0.1 0 / 4%

Low er Atlantic $2.63 $2.48 $0.15 / 6%

Midwest $2.60 $2.61 ($0.01) / 0%

Gulf Coast $2.56 $2.50 $0.06 / 2%

Rocky Mountain $2.49 $2.51 ($0.02) / (1%)

West Coast $2.84 $2.90 ($0.06) / (2%)

Diesel ($ per gallon) National Average $2.87 $2.79 $0.07 / 3%

New England $3.01 $2.88 $0.13 / 4%

Central Atlantic $2.98 $2.87 $0.1 0 / 4%

Lower Atlantic $2.81 $2.64 $0.17 / 7%

Midwest $2.78 $2.78 $0 / 0%

Gulf Coast $2.77 $2.65 $0.12 / 5%

Rocky Mountain $2.80 $2.71 $0.09 / 3%

West Coast $2 .98 $2.94 $0.04 / 1%

Compressed Natural Gas ($ per GGE) National Average $1.85 $1.86 ($0.01) / 0%

New England $2.30 $2.19 $0.11 / 5%

Central Atlantic $2.10 $2.17 ($0.07) / (3%)

Lower Atlantic $1.74 $1.71 $0.03 / 2%

Midwest $1.73 $1.76 ($0.02) / (1%)

Gulf Coast $1.98 $1.95 $0.03 / 1%

Rocky Mountain $1.26 $1.23 $0.03 / 2%

West Coast $2.24 $2.18 $0.06 / 3%

Ethanol (E85) ($ per gallon) National Average $2.38 $2.27 $0.11 / 5%

New England $3.16 $3.01 $0.15 / 5%

Central Atla ntic $2.49 $2.40 $0.09 / 4%

Lower Atlantic $2.47 $2.29 $0.19 / 8%

Midwest $2.34 $2.21 $0.13 / 6%

Gulf Coast $2.38 $2.17 $0.21 / 10%

Rocky Mountain $2.25 $2.10 $0.15 / 7%

West Coast $2.42 $2.41 $0.01 / 0%

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

Page 12 Table 11

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

Price for January 20 1 0 Period Price for October 2009 Period Price Differential January vs.
October

Pro pane ($ per gallon) National Average $2.99 $2.69 $0.3 0 / 11%

New England $3.67 $2.95 $0.72 / 24%

Central Atlantic $3.35 $3.23 $0.11 / 3%

Lower Atlantic $3.12 $2.79 $0.33 / 12%

Midwest $2.88 $2.73 $0.15 / 6%

Gulf Coast $2.90 $2.54 $0.3 6 / 14%

Rocky Mountain $2.47 $2.23 $0.24 / 11%

West Coast $3.18 $2.67 $0.51 / 19%

Biodiesel (B20) ($ per gallon) National Average $2.96 $2.88 $0.08 / 3%

New England $3.00 $2.82 $0.18 / 6%

Central Atlantic $3.07 $3.13 ($0.06) / (2%)

Low er Atlantic $2.83 $2.67 $0.15 / 6%

Midwest $2.78 $2.69 $0.09 / 3%

Gulf Coast $2.86 $2.67 $0.19 / 7%

Rocky Mountain $2.91 $2.87 $0.04 / 1%

West Coast $3.17 $3.09 $0.08 / 2%

Biodiesel (B99

- B100) ($ per gallon) National Average $3.59 $3.19 $0.41 / 13%

New England $2.49 $2.39 $0.1 0 / 4%

Central Atlantic $3.94 $3.02 $0.92 / 31%

Lower Atlantic $3.27 $3.15 $0.12 / 4%

Midwest $0.00 $3.07 N/A

Gulf Coast $3.49 $2.59 $0.9 / 35%

Rocky Mountain $4.72 $

-

. -- N/A

West Coast $3.47 $3.30 $0.17 / 5%

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

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 willing to commi t to

p urchasing large quantities of fuel over an extended period of time. However, private fleet pricing can sometimes be higher than retail public stations if there are unusual circumstances (remote locations, sites that use very small quantities of fuel, or sp ecial contracts where unique billing & accounting services or fleet service management fees are 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 protocols 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 .65

New England $2.69 $2.77

Central Atlantic

-

. -- $2.79

Lower Atlantic $2.58 $2.63

Midwest

-

. -- $2.60

Gulf Coast

-

. -- $2.55

Rocky Mountain $2.54 $2.49

West Coast $3.17 $2.83

Diesel ($/gallon) National Average $2.89 $2.86

New Engla nd $3.03 $3.01

Central Atlantic

-

. -- $2.98

Lower Atlantic $2.61 $2.81

Midwest $2.67 $2.78

Gulf Coast

-

. -- $2.77

Rocky Mountain $2.72 $2.81

West Coast $2.98

Natural Gas (CNG) ($/GGE) National Average $1.38 $2.03

New England $1.93 $2. 38

Central Atlantic $2.01 $2.18

Lower Atlantic $1.13 $1.80

Midwest $1.38 $1.82

Gulf Coast $1.33 $2.01

Rocky Mountain $0.96 $1.51

West Coast $1.66 $2.28

Ethanol (E85) ($/gallon) National Average $2.62 $2.37

New England $4.03 $2.29

Cen tral Atlantic $2.48 $2.49

Lower Atlantic $2.45 $2.47

Midwest $2.35 $2.34

Gulf Coast

-

. -- $2.38

Rocky Mountain $2.49 $2.24

West Coast $2.49 $2.42

Propane ($/gallon) National Average $2.14 $3.03

New England

-

. -- $3.67

Central Atlantic $ 1.99 $3.59

Lower Atlantic $2.23 $3.17

Midwest $1.89 $2.91

Gulf Coast $1.53 $2.93

Rocky Mountain

-

. -- $2.47

West Coast $3.51 $3.17

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 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 $2.86 $2.98

New England $2.81 $3.09

Central Atlantic $2. 95 $3.21

Lower Atlantic $2.51 $2.86

Midwest $2.43 $2.80

Gulf Coast $2.91 $2.85

Rocky Mountain

-

. -- $2.91

West Coast $3.07 $3.17

Biodiesel (B99/B100) ($/gallon) National Average $3.49 $3.60

New England

-

. -- $2.49

Central Atlantic $3.10 $4.07

Lower Atlantic $3.27 $3.27

Midwest

-

. -- -

. --
Gulf Coast

-

. -- $3.49

Rocky Mountain

-

. -- $4.72

West Coast $4.11 $3.44

## Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report January 2010

Page 15 

# HISTORICAL ALTERNATIVE FUEL PRICES FROM PREVIOUS REPORTS

The graphs on this page illustrate the historical pric e s 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-10Price 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-10Price 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 January 2010

Page 16 

# ILLUSTRATION OF CONVERSION FACTORS FOR FUELS

The standard lower heating val ues for fuels from the Transportation Energy Databook 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 117,0 93 BTU/gal



### Conversion factors to establish prices in dollars per gasoline equivalent gallon are illustrated below, and were developed using the low er 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 equivalent gallo n, 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 equivalent gallon 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 equivalent gallon, 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 January 2010

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: w e 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 alte rnative fuels in your region and be part of the data collection effort for this report, please

contact:

Michael D. Laughlin New West Technologies, LLC 4351 Garden City Drive, Suite 600 Landover, MD 20785 (301) 429

- 1180 (phone) (301) 429

- 1185 (FAX) mlaughl in@nwttech.com

DISCLAIMER

This document highlights work sponsored by agencies of the U.S. Government. Neither the U.S. Government nor any agency thereo f, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liabilit y or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would no t infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, proce ss, or service 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 thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do no t necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government or any agency thereof.