COLWICH, Kansas -- Kansas is the second state to lead the nation in raising public awareness for higher blends of ethanol as the Ethanol Promotion & Information Council (EPIC), Kansas Corn Commission and ethanol plant designer ICM Inc. collaborate to launch a blender pump incentive program across the state of Kansas.
A pump promotion last week gave flex-fuel vehicles (FFV) drivers an opportunity to fill up with the mid-level blends of ethanol at a new station in Colwich. TJ Convenience store offers four ethanol blends: E10, E20, E30 and E85. Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) helped [image-nocss] ICM president Dave Vander Griend cut the ribbon (pictured). The station is literally branded with the "e" logo, developed as a brand for ethanol by EPIC, reported the Domestic Fuel website.
This initiative will help fuel station retailers obtain funding and the equipment needed to sell higher blends of ethanol, which range from E20 (20% ethanol and 80% unleaded gasoline) to E50 (50% ethanol and 50% unleaded gasoline) and can only be used in FFVs. One of the main goals is to increase the state's blender pump infrastructure by installing a minimum of 100 blender pumps over the next year. Currently, three blender pumps are open in the state through a pilot program adopted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture that made Kansas one of the first states in the nation to allow ethanol blender pumps.
"Consumers are looking for relief at the pump, and blender pumps will allow gas stations to sell more blends of ethanol-enriched fuel to consumers driving flex-fuel vehicles," said EPIC deputy director Robert White. "This program will provide support and incentives to fuel station retailers who want the opportunity to offer blender pumps, and raise awareness among consumers."
According to Kansas Corn Commission chairman Bob Timmons, the program "will help strengthen our economy by encouraging blender pump infrastructure development, and take us one step closer to weakening our dependence on foreign oil."
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