WEST DES MOINES, Iowa --Kum & Go L.C. is introducing E15 to its convenience-store chain this month at an Iowa site, with plans to roll it out to dozens of locations over the next couple years. It will also open its first compressed-natural-gas (CNG) site in Arkansas later this month.
Ethanol Enthusiasm
Kum & Go, which has more than 430 sites in 11 states, will begin selling the 15% ethanol, 85% gasoline blend at its Windsor Heights, Iowa, store on April 30.The West Des Moines, Iowa-based retailer plans to offer E15 at more than 65stores in Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri,Oklahoma and South Dakota over the next two years.
The chain already has a long history selling the 85% ethanol blend E85, introducing it in 1997 and now offering it at more than 160 convenience stores across its 11-state footprint. Kum & Go was also one of the first fuel retailers to offer E10, a 10% ethanol blend, back in the 1970s. It also sells biodiesel blends at some locations.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved E15 for use in vehicle models 2001 and newer. The ethanol blend’s rollout has been slow, however, despite it being one of the most widely tested transportation fuels, because of lingering concerns from some industry groups over misfueling and liability issues. It is currently available at about 120 sites across the United States.
Supporters of the fuel blend argue it is cleaner, has a higher octane content thangasoline and produces fewer pollutants and carbon emissions, and it is typically priced less than E10.
“We have a strong tradition in our company to implement sustainability within our business and at our locations,” saidJim Pirolli, vice president of fuels at Kum & Go. “From our 100 LEED-certified stores, to our selection of alternative fuels, E15was a natural addition to our fuel offering. Having E15 in our portfolio allows Kum & Go to offer our customers a quality product at a great value.”
CNG Entry
Meanwhile, Kum & Go’s first CNG fueling location will be in Springdale, Ark. It will open later this month. Plans for the site were first revealed last August with news that the chain would actually be opening two CNG sites in Springdale. The town’s water utilities department will serve as one of the anchor tenants for the location.
The Kum & Go site will be the first public CNG fueling location in northwest Arkansas. The retailer received a $400,000 rebate from the state’s Energy Office as part of its Gaseous Fuels Rebate Program, which aims to support the public availability of clean-burning fuels.
Kum & Go, founded in 1959, is said to be the fifth-largest privately held and company-operated c-store chain in the United States. The family-owned company has more than 4,700 associates across its more than 430 stores in 11 states, which include Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.
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