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Ethanol Blends Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from various plant materials, which collectively are called "biomass." Ethanol contains the same alcohol chemical compound found in alcoholic beverages. Nearly half of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol in a low-level blend to oxygenate the fuel and reduce air pollution. Ethanol is also increasingly available in E85, an alternative fuel that can be used in flexible fuel vehicles. Studies have estimated that ethanol and other biofuels could replace 30% or more of U.S. gasoline demand by 2030. Ethanol use, production and infrastructure has grown by leaps and bounds in Kentucky over the past decade, due in part to the dedication of the KCFC and its ethanol-supporting members.
In the
News
Ethanol Dispensers Receive Final
Safety Certification (6.24.10) Growth Energy today
announced that Underwriters Laboratory (UL) has simultaneously
issued certifications to both the Gilbarco Veeder-Root Encore®E85
fueling dispenser and the Dresser Wayne Ovation ®Eco
fueling E85 dispenser. These fuel pumps are now completely
certified and approved for dispensing any range of fuel ethanol from
E0 through E85. “The final UL certification of both the
Gilbarco and Dresser Wayne fuel dispensers represents a significant
step in expanding our national effort to provide higher level blends
of ethanol directly to consumers,” said Growth Energy CEO, Tom Buis.
“Now that these two outstanding domestically based pump
manufacturers have received all the final approvals and
certifications, we anticipate a more rapid expansion in the number
of higher blend fueling facilities across the nation.” “This UL approval will have an extremely
positive impact on our customers, motorists and the entire
alternative fuels industry. Consumers are increasingly demanding
renewable fuel options for their vehicles, and car manufacturers are
steadily increasing the number of vehicle models that use
eco-friendly fuels. Now, fuel retailers dispensing E85 with
Dresser Wayne Ovation Eco Fuel E85 dispensers can meet consumer
demands and also be in compliance with industry standards.
This UL approval helps Dresser Wayne further its commitment to the
development of green refueling technologies,” said Scott Negley,
Director of Alternative Energy Products for Dresser Wayne.
http://www.dresserwayne.com/index.cfm/go/content-detail/dresserpage/Press-Releases/ “We are pleased to be leading the development
of the infrastructure required for alternative fuels, including
increased use of ethanol,” said Chad Johnson, marketing manager for
Encore dispensers at Gilbarco Veeder-Root. “The Encore S Flexible
Fuel dispensers for E85 provide our customers with the same
innovative, money-making features and durability they enjoy with the
gasoline models.”
http://www.gilbarco.com/page/Press_Archives Regarding blender pumps, Buis noted, “Growth
Energy salutes both manufacturers for their persistence in
addressing the new and robust standards which have been established
for certification of E85 dispensing equipment and we look forward to
the completion of the process that will allow the certification of
blender pumps in the near future.” The impact of the approval enables the industry
to build much-needed infrastructure to support renewable fuels and
allows retailers to install ethanol equipment that is legal to
operate. It also knocks down a significant barrier that impeded the
growth of alternative fuels from becoming more of a mainstream
product offering in the marketplace. Thornton's installs more
E85 dispensers in Kentucky
In a recent press release from Growth
Energy, Thornton's Chief
Executive Officer, Matt Thornton, said. “We are very excited
about the expansion of E85 fuel in our stores. We support
the use of ethanol, wherever it is economically available.” Thornton’s reported that they sell, on
average, between 3,000 and 5,000 gallons of E85 per month at
their current dispenser sites, and demand shifts based on
price. When the price spread between E85 and regular
unleaded gasoline is greater, more people will fuel up on
the E85.
Thronton's E85 sites can be found at Fern
Valley Road (I-65), North Hurstbourne Pkwy (I-64), Lyndon
Lane, National Turnpike, and South 3rd Street. Dispenser
placement is near completion at a south Bardstown Road
location near I-265. Two more locations are ready for
dispenser upgrades, and Thornton's is considering placing
E85 there as well. A full list of where to buy E85 in Kentucky
can be found on the
KCFC
website.
Growth Energy Backs Testing
of Curb Pump Dispensing Hose
9.24.09 - Growth Energy, a coalition of American ethanol supporters,
has joined Veyance Technologies, Inc., to seek approval from
Underwriter Laboratory for a liquid fuel hose capable of dispensing
ethanol from blender pumps. This is the first ethanol hose to be
submitted for UL approval since the lab revised its standards in
October 2006 for equipment to carry high-level ethanol blends.
“For the past three years, our efforts to promote an open fuel market
where consumers have a choice about what kind of fuel to pump have
been stymied by regulatory obstacles to establishing a certified fuel
dispensing system,” said Bernie Punt, Growth Energy board member.
“Most state and local fire officials require UL certification or
similar accreditation. The submission by Veyance Technologies is a
landmark step in completing the higher-level blender certification
process and opens the market so consumers have more choices of fuel.”
Punt said that final certification and approval of a curb-pump hose
-- also referred to as a blender pump -- capable of dispensing
different grades of ethanol-blended gasoline, is expected by next
spring.
8.11.09 – Consumers can enjoy more choices at the pump,
gas station owners can experience product flexibility,
and the nation can achieve its renewable fuels targets –
all thanks to the blender pump and the wider
distribution of E85 and mid-range ethanol blends. An
unprecedented new campaign is underway between leading
corn-producing states, the American Coalition for
Ethanol, and the Renewable Fuels Association, with the
goal of installing 5,000 blender pumps nationwide over
the next three years.
The Kentucky Corn Growers Association (KyCGA) provided
funding for the campaign in order to support expansion
of the ethanol fuel market.
More >>
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(6.18.10)
With financial assistance from the
The
Kentucky Corn Growers Association hopes the increased
opportunity to fuel up with E85 will aid in promoting the
benefits of the clean-burning, domestic fuel.
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