Each year, the City of New Orleans shells out enough money to pay for the two million gallons of gas needed to fill its fleet of city vehicles.  While Mayor Ray Nagin now says the city has a plan to make that purchase more environmentally friendly, some say the change could lead to a bigger bill.

The city's Chief Administrative Officer Brenda Hatfield says New Orleans will soon begin filling about 2,700 of its vehicles with a blend of ethanol known as E-10.  "So now there will be 90 percent gasoline, 10 percent ethanol." 

Hatfield says since the corn-based ethanol is a renewable fuel and contributes to reducing carbon emissions the decision to switch off of regular gasoline was an easy one.  "You know we talk about a green environment, well this is one way that we can contribute to that." 

An added bonus, according to Hatfield, is the fact making the switch to ethanol will cost roughly the same as what they're paying now.  "So we're not spending more and we're not spending less."

Eric Smith with the Tulane Energy Institute, however, disagrees. 

"The ethanol is relatively expensive," he says.  Smith argues that going green via ethanol will cost the city more, and he adds, per volume ethanol produces less than energy than regular gasoline.  "So you'll refill more often, and you'll also have less mileage as a result."

Still, Hatfield has a different take on the issue.  "Our statistics haven't shown that yet," she says.  "But we will have to wait and see."  And the city won't have to wait much longer; their first shipment of E-10 is expected to arrive next week.  "If it's a difference it would probably be a very small difference," said Hatfield.  "And it's worth the sacrifice for the environment."

Since the city already has its own line of fuel pumps, they won't have to worry about finding gas stations in the area that carry E-10.  As for vehicle compatibility with the ethanol, Hatfield says the fuel can safely be used in all city vehicles without problem.