NIU cars running on clean fuels

by Joe King

The Northern Illinois University Department of Transportation was recognized this month by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for its use of environmentally friendly fuels in university vehicles.

Currently, the university has a fleet of five pick-up trucks that are fueled by natural gas, as well as 27 minivans and five sedans capable of running on fuel that is a mixture of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol. Additionally, all of the department's diesel-operated vehicles (buses, dump trucks, etc.) are currently running on fuel that contains 2 percent "soy diesel." In all, about 25 percent of the university automotive fleet can, or does, currently run on some sort of alternative fuel.

"We are trying to be environmentally aware and reduce our impact," said Bill Finucane, manager of the transportation department, explaining that the fuels burn more cleanly. Use of such "bio-fuels" is encouraged by the state as a way to assist agriculture.

To further those efforts, the department is looking into installing an additional gas pump to dispense the 85 percent ethanol mix (currently they are limited to the 10 percent mix available to the average consumer) and is looking to increase the amount of soy diesel it uses.

"We are starting out slowly at 2 percent soy diesel, and many of our vehicles are running better on this product. Some places use a mix of up to 80 percent, but most use 20 percent, which is probably where we will end up," Finucane said.

The department also is planning to purchase some hybrid electric vehicles, which can run both on gasoline and batteries and average about 50 miles per gallon of gas. Those could become part of the fleet by the end of the year, Finucane said.

"In the long run, all of these things will help reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil," Finucane said.