WESTBOROUGH, Mass. -- Cumberland Farms is adding E15, becoming the latest retail chain to introduce the 15% ethanol blend to its forecourt.
The convenience-store retailer is partnering with ethanol-industry group Growth Energy and Prime the Pump, a nonprofit that assists fuel retailers with adding ethanol blends, to introduce E15 to more than 120 locations in the Northeast. The Westborough, Mass.-based chain has nearly 600 c-stores in eight states.
“At Cumberland Farms we strive to be the clear choice for our customers’ everyday needs and that means being on the frontlines of innovation,” said David Masuret, senior vice president of petroleum supply and operations for Cumberland Farms. “As E15’s growth continued to accelerate it became an obvious choice for us to make it available to our customers.”
Cumberland Farms is adding E15 to sites in reformulated gasoline (RFG) markets, where the chain can sell the ethanol blend throughout the year. In most other markets, fuel retailers must stop selling E15 from June 1 to Sept. 15 since it does not have a Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Air Act allowing its sale during the summer, when smog regulations are in effect. In early October, the Trump administration announced it was directing the EPA to pursue rulemaking that would waive RVP restrictions on E15, a process that could take months and is open to legal action.
Prime the Pump and Growth Energy also recently announced that Casey’s General Stores would be adding E15 to potentially 500 additional sites.
Other large retail chains that offer E15 include Kwik Trip Inc., Sheetz Inc., Kum & Go, RaceTrac Petroleum, QuikTrip, Murphy USA and Thorntons.
“We are ecstatic to be expanding our E15 family with Cumberland Farms,” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, Washington, D.C. “Cumberland Farms will spread E15 access to new territory and will be giving more American drivers a cleaner-burning, engine-smart choice at the pump which will be available uninterrupted year-round.”
Photograph courtesy of Cumberland Farms
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