Ethanol Comes to Tallahassee

“Securing a diverse and reliable supply of energy will reduce Florida's dependence on imported oil and ensure that a balanced mix of fuel sources and technologies are available for years to come,” said Governor Bush. “The tremendous potential of ethanol to become a major source of transportation fuel for Florida's energy future will be spurred with greater public access to ethanol fuelling stations.”

As part of the announcement, General Motors will promote the availability of ethanol fuel with dealers and the thousands of consumers with FlexFuel vehicles in the Tallahassee region. E85 FlexFuel vehicles can run on any combination of gasoline including E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The use of E85 can contribute to energy independence by diversifying the source of transportation fuels beyond petroleum, and it provides positive environmental benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

“We congratulate General Motors and Inland Food Stores in the formation of this partnership to bring renewable biofuel to consumers at more retail locations,” said Commissioner Charles Bronson, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “We’re pleased that the efforts of today’s partnership will help provide more Florida consumers with domestically grown and produced fuel choices like E85.”

Florida has one of the nation’s fastest growing populations, constantly increasing the demand for power and transportation fuel. The demand for motor vehicle transportation fuel is expected to grow from 28 million gallons per day to more than 32 million gallons per day with Florida depending almost exclusively on other states and nations for supplies of oil and gasoline.

“GM already has more than two million vehicles on the road today that are capable of using E85 ethanol fuel,” said Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president of environment and energy. “We appreciate that Inland Food Stores is joining our efforts to make this great fuel alternative available to people in Florida. We also appreciate the support of Governor Bush and the State of Florida as we continue to promote the use of E85 ethanol and its many benefits for the environment, the economy and consumers.”

An adequate, reliable, diverse, efficient and affordable energy supply, coupled with a long-term commitment to energy conservation, is vital for maintaining Florida’s growing economy and quality of life.

“Inland is proud to offer the first retail E85 dispensers in the State of Florida,” Mike Harrell, President and CEO of Inland Food Stores. “We operate under the motto of ‘Outrageous Customer Service’ and offering E85 is another way we can give our customers the choices they deserve. We are committed to making alternative fuel choices like E85 easily available to the public and we are excited to be teaming up with Governor Jeb Bush, General Motors, and our supply partners to promote E85’s availability and to increase consumer awareness.”

Spearheaded by Governor Bush, the 2006 Florida Energy Act takes the first comprehensive step toward a diverse, reliable and secure energy future by reducing regulatory barriers to expedite electric generation capacity and providing rebates, grants and tax incentives to drive the development of alternative fuel technologies. The four year, $100 million plan aims to reduce Florida’s dependence on imported oil, spur economic growth and increase investment in cleaner, alternative energy sources such as solar, hydrogen and biofuels.

The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) has also taken an aggressive approach on issues regarding the sale, distribution, and production of alternative and renewable fuels in the State of Florida. DACS has changed the definition of “petroleum fuels” legislatively, allowing for the Department to regulate the sale and distribution of alternative fuels, such as E85, ensuring maximum consumer protection; adopted quality and labeling standards for such fuels into Department rule in June 2006; put forth legislation providing incentives for the alternative and renewable fuel business sectors, and created the Farm to Fuel Program.

About GM:

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

About Inland

Established in 1967 in Bainbridge, Georgia, Southwest Georgia Oil Co., Inc., under the retail names Inland fuel and SunStop convenience stores, is one of the Southeast’s top-rated family-owned and operated convenience store chains. The company operates 30 convenience locations throughout Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Inland prides itself on superior customer service and cleanliness in its stores and offers its customers the latest and greatest in convenient snacks, groceries and high quality fuels. For more information, visit www.inland-stores.com.