ATLANTA -- Mountain Express Oil Co. has added E15 to two of its convenience stores in the Atlanta market, marking the first retail locations for the still-controversial 15% ethanol, 85% gasoline blend in the state of Georgia.
E15, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said can be used in vehicle model years 2001 and newer, joins E85 and B20 biodiesel.
Biofuels distribution and management services provider Protec Fuel, Boca Raton, Fla., oversaw the installation and is supplying the ethanol blends to Mountain Express Oil (MEX), a fuel distributor and retailer based in Woodstock, Ga. The two sites are the Mountain Express-Quick Stop Food Store in Marietta, and the Mountain Express-Food Mart in Greensboro.
According to Protec, eight more E15 sites are slated to open in the Atlanta metro area. It is partnering with retailers in major South and Southeast metropolitan markets to oversee the build out of 28 ethanol-blend fueling locations. This includes Atlanta, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, as well as the states of Florida and Virginia. These same 28 stations will also offer E85. Most recently, Protec oversaw the installation of E15 at the first locations in Florida.
"We are pleased to help introduce this ethanol fuel blend in the Southeast," said Todd Garner, CEO of Protec Fuel. "As in the Midwest, these stations have also had success with both E15 and E85."
The debate continues over the use of E15. Many fuel and automotive industry experts believe E15 still has the potential to damage engines, especially because consumers might confuse it with other fuels. But more retailers have begun offering the fuel.
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