According to the EPA, CFDC, RFA and NREL there is a wide range in the estimated cost to install blender pumps. The range in costs is directly attributed to whether existing pumps can be modified or need to be replaced and whether Underground Storage Tanks (UST) need to be put in or modified. If a station is currently selling E85, for instance, the pump could be modified so it could pump fuel from the E85 tank and an E10 tank to deliver an alternative blend.
The cost for a standard fuel dispenser is XXXX (American Coalition for Ethanol - Lamberty) and for an E85 dispenser XXXX. The cost of a blending pump would more closely match that of an E85 pump. Each pump has two fueling positions. The EPA (RIA) estimates that if the hoses on a dispenser needed to be replaced this could be done for XXXX plus a XXXX installation fee (total cost of XXXX per dispenser). If the wetted fuel dispenser components needed to be replaced, this could be done for XXXX (components) and an installation fee of XXXX. The total cost to modify the standard pump would include hoses, wetted components and installation for an estimated cost of XXXX.
EPA estimates that the average cost to install a new tank and above ground E85 dispensing equipment is XXXX per retail station. Fueling facilities can install an E85 pump and net out the cost with the tax credit for infrastructure, but, it is only for the E85 portion of the pump. The tax credit was originally 30 percent or XXXX of the cost of infrastructure (tanks, pumps, etc.); in 2009 was increased to 50 percent or XXXX. This tax credit is set to expire at the end of 2010.
If facilities need to break cement or ground to modify pipes, tanks or add tanks, EPA estimates the cost to average XXXX – facilities that require more extensive UST modification would cost more, while those requiring less work would cost less. Assuming the blender pump costs are similar to E85 and the potential underground work, the cost could rise to more than XXXX for one blender pump installation. Multiple pump installations at one facility would spread the underground work cost across more pumps. An NREL 2008 survey of 120 stations found that the median cost to add a new tank was XXXX.
These figures indicate that the cost to install blender pumps can vary widely which means that the support necessary for this process must be flexible. In addition to federal support, some states provide support to offset some of the installation costs to the fueling stations in installing blender pumps. Growth Energy began a program recently that offers up to XXXX to help defray the costs of procurement and installation.
A number of states have incentives designed to stimulate consumption of biofuels. A state by state listing is not possible at this time, but USDA is in the process of compiling one, with the help of the states. The incentives could include: industry recruitment incentives, corporate tax credits, net metering policies, grants, loan programs, rebate programs, personal tax credits, sales tax exemptions, property tax exemptions, and production incentives. However, more than half of the states provide some E85 production and/or sale encouragement.
Rail and Trucking Infrastructure. Current conditions for ethanol distribution should guide us in evaluating potential gaps in infrastructure needs as biofuels supply increases and demand responds as it becomes more widely available and competitive with other fuels. Ethanol consumption has followed a gradual regional development. Most of ethanol is distributed by rail, but only about 15 percent of petroleum blending terminals that handle ethanol have rail access—most are serviced by pipelines for petroleum products and trucks for ethanol. The map below shows the current patterns of ethanol distribution.7 It shows the concentration of rail corridors from the producing area in the Midwest to the consumption areas along the coasts. It also identifies the location of all ethanol blending terminals.
Based on a model developed by Oakridge National Laboratories, EPA projects that 40 unit train rail receipt facilities will be needed to distribute additional volumes of ethanol as targeted by the RFS2. Additional unit-train destinations would likely create more ethanol corridors on the rail network, possibly alleviating congestion points that could develop with increased biofuel shipments. In addition to unit trains, EPA expects manifest rail cars (shipments of less than 80–100 railcar unit trains) will continue to be used to ship ethanol and cellulosic biofuels. EPA estimates the capital costs for the ethanol distribution infrastructure would total XXXX billion.
When amortized, this translates to 6.9 cents per gallon of additional costs associated with shipping RFS2-related volumes of ethanol. Developing unit train destinations is a time- consuming process, usually taking 3 to 5 years. The industry has responded to this challenge by developing rail-to-truck transloading facilities for smaller-than-unit train shipments of ethanol.
根据美国环境保护署、清洁能源发展联盟（CFDC）、可再生燃料协会（RFA）和国家可再生能源实验室（NREL）的资料，在安装燃料混合泵所需要的成本方面，估计的数字变动范围相当大。成本变动的范围直接与现有泵浦是否可以经过改造、或是否需要被更换相关，也与是否需要安装或改造地下储罐（UST）相关。例如，如果加油站当前销售E85燃料，那么它的泵浦就可以接受改造，使其能够从E85和E10的储罐中泵吸燃料，然后输送出一种代用的混合燃料。
一件标准燃料加注装置的成本是XXXX万美元（据美国乙醇联盟（American Coalition for Ethanol）的资料——由兰伯特（Lamberty）先生提供），而用于E85燃料的加注装置的成本是XXXX万美元。燃料混合泵的成本将会更接近于E85泵浦的成本。这种泵浦每一只带有两个加油位置。美国环境保护署（《常见影响评估》（RIA））估计，如果加注装置上的软管需要更换，那么所需的花费是XXXX美元，外加XXXX美元的安装费，也就是每件加注装置花费XXXX美元。如果燃料加注装置中接触液体的部件需要更换，那么需要的花费是XXXX万美元（部件费用），外加1，000美元的安装费。这样，改造标准泵浦的总成本中将要包括软管、接触液体部件的费用以及安装费，估计的金额是XXXX美元。
美国环境保护署估计，如果安装一只新的储罐、并安装地上的E85加注设备，那么每个零售站的平均成本是XXXX万美元。加油站可以安装一只E85泵浦，然后可以用基础设施的抵税额来将成本抵消，但只能抵消用于E85的泵浦部分。一开始的抵税额是基础设施（储罐、泵浦等）成本的30％、或XXXX万美元，2009年抵税额增至成本的50％、或XXXX万美元。这种抵税额按规定将于2010年末到期。
根据美国环境保护署的估计，如果加油站需要打破水泥或地面来改造管道、储罐或添置储罐，那么平均成本将达到XXXX万美元，而对于需要进行大面积地下储油罐改造的加油站，成本还会更高，那些需要的工程量更少的加油站成本也就更低。假定燃料混合泵的成本与E85泵浦及可能需要进行的地下工程的成本差不多，那么安装一件燃料混合泵的成本就可能升至XXXX万美元。如果在一家加油站安装多件泵浦，那么地下工程的成本就可以在多件泵浦之间摊薄。2008年国家可再生能源实验室对120家加油站进行的一项调查表明，添置一只新储罐的成本中间值是XXXX万美元。
这些数字表明，安装燃料混合泵的成本变动相当大，这也就意味着，为这一过程提供的支持就必须灵活多变。除了联邦政府的支持，有些州也提供支持来抵消加油站安装燃料混合泵的一部分安装费用。增长能源组织最近启动了一项计划，它为混合燃料泵的购买与安装提供最高XXXX美元的资助。
许多州都推出了意在刺激生物燃料消费的鼓励措施。目前还无法整理出每一个州的鼓励措施清单，但美国农业部正在各州的帮助下对这些鼓励措施进行汇编。这些措施中可以包括行业招聘奖励、企业抵税额、净计量政策、拨款、贷款计划、折扣计划、个人抵税额、销售税豁免、物业税豁免，以及生产奖励。不过，一半以上的州都为E85燃料的生产和/或销售提供了一些鼓励。
铁路运输与公路运输基础设施。随着生物燃料供应的扩大，需求方面就会做出反应，因为生物燃料供给所覆盖的地理范围会更广，而且相对于其它燃料也具备了竞争力。我们需要评估在这种情况下基础设施需求中潜在的差距，而当前乙醇分配的状况就可以为我们提供指南。乙醇的消费量经历了一个渐进式的地区发展过程。大多数乙醇是用铁路运输方式来分配的，但在处理乙醇的石油混合输油站中，只有15％能够通过铁路运输方式而抵达，它们中的大多数都通过输油管道来输送石油、并依靠公路运输来输送乙醇。下面的地图显示了当前的乙醇分配格局7。它指示出了从中西部生产地区到海岸沿线消费地区之间轨道运输走廊的集中情况，并标出了所有乙醇混合输油站的地点。
以橡树岭国家实验室（Oakridge National Laboratories）开发的一种模型为基础，美国环境保护署预计，在可再生燃料标准第二阶段所规定的目标乙醇额度中，目前的缺口部分的分配需要40家固定编组列车运输能够抵达的生产厂。增添更多的固定编组列车目的地，很可能会在铁路网络中创建起更多的乙醇运输走廊，对于因生物燃料运输扩大而可能产生运输堵塞的地点，这些运输走廊也能减轻负担。除了固定编组列车外，美国环境保护署还希望铁路快运货车（运货量比80－100节车皮的固定编组列车更少）能够继续运输乙醇和纤维素生物燃料。美国环境保护署估计，乙醇分配的基础设施资本成本总额将达到XXXX亿美元。
当这笔投资分摊下来，那么运输可再生燃料标准第二阶段规定目标内的乙醇时，额外的成本将是每加仑6.9美分。发展固定编组列车目的地是一个耗时的过程，通常会需要3到5年的时间。产业部门已经在建设铁路转公路的转载设施，以用于小于固定编组列车装载量的乙醇的运输，从而对这一挑战做出了回应。
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