Boland urges cities to buy environmentally friendly vehicles

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If state Rep. Mike Boland had his way, local municipalities and school districts would buy only eco-friendly vehicles.

Boland, D-East Moline, sponsored legislation in 2006, which the governor signed, requiring state agencies to buy only hybrids, flex-fuel or bio-diesels. Now he wants municipalities, park districts, schools and the like to do the same. He came to the Steelworkers Union Hall in Sterling Friday to make his pitch.

If they don't get on board on their own, he plans to introduce legislation next year to require municipal governments and other taxing districts to do so.

"I hope local governments will follow the example of Moline and Rock Island and do this voluntarily. If they do not, I will back next year, (to) mandate they do it," Boland said. "If they don't, we're going to have to force this. The benefits are too great to pass up. We can't wait any longer."

Although E-85, the fuel that is most commonly used in flexible-fuel cars, gets less mileage than traditional gasoline, Boland said cities can save money using a fuel that burns cleaner and is better for air quality.

Boland, who has a flexible-fuel vehicle, said when there is at least a 75-cent difference between E-85 and regular gas, he saves money by using E-85. A difference between 20 cents and 75 cents, and he breaks even. A difference of less than 20 cents and he's better off with gasoline.

"The rationale is that it has so many benefits, it's worth it to get less miles per gallon than regular gas," Boland said.

Promoting more flexible-fuel cars will help promote the construction of more ethanol or bio-diesel plants, which create 400 to 500 construction jobs and roughly 45 to 65 full-time jobs when they open.

"Besides the jobs created, the money that goes to ethanol goes to farmers, we're helping our fellow neighbors, so that when those farmers make more money, they're coming to towns like Sterling and Rock Falls, spending money and creating more jobs," Boland said.

The upfront expense of a hybrid vehicle might be a deterrent, but there are Clean Energy Foundation grants that could help municipalities with the cost, he said.

Whether Dixon would be for the program would depend on the cost of those types of vehicles, Mayor Jim Burke said. "There are a lot of unknowns."

"It's certainly good to look at environmentally more friendly vehicles, it's hard to argue against," Burke said.

The Rock Falls Electric Department bought a hybrid SUV last summer, and Sterling City Manager Scott Shumard said his town is considering buying a hybrid SUV for its fire department, to replace a non-emergency SUV.

Dump trucks, though, don't run on bio-diesel, Shumard said.

"We have a responsibility to the taxpayers to find the most efficient option available to us," Shumard said. "If they could make the grant funds available, we'll be more than happy to jump on board.

"Of course, there is a premium cost to (hybrids). We have to weigh the fuel cost savings with the extra expense of the vehicle itself," Shumard said. "It comes down to fuel savings over the life span of the vehicle over the up-front cost."

Reach Joseph Bustos at (815) 625-3600 or (800) 798-4085, ext. 529.

Reach Joseph Bustos at (815) 284-2222 or (800) 798-4085, ext. 529.