MONROEVILLE, Pa. -- A panel of top experts from the retail gasoline, automotive and energy industries will hold an open forum today at the Sheetz store in Monroeville, Pa., to help consumers learn more about E85 ethanol-based fuel.
The panel will consist of six experts from Sheetz Inc., General Motors Corp. (GM), VeraSun Energy, local GM dealerships and the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Media and customers were invited to ask questions and listen to panelists explain what E85 is and how the corn-based, [image-nocss] renewable, clean-burning fuel is used.
The panel discussion heralds Sheetz' announcement that it will begin offering E85 ethanol-based fuel at two more of its Pittsburgh area locations, including the Monroeville location and the Robinson Township store. On July 10, Sheetz began selling VeraSun's branded E85, VE85 at its Pleasant Hills store.
E85 is now available at the three Sheetz locations in the Pittsburgh area, thanks to a collaborative partnership with GM, VeraSun and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
VeraSun, the nation's second largest ethanol producer, has partnered with GM and retail fuel providers in other states to make E85 more available and work through its branded fuel to bring awareness and credibility to this emerging, renewable alternative fuel.
"We'd like to congratulate Sheetz on the additional locations offering VE85, and increasing the availability of this renewable fuel to Pennsylvania motorists. They are clearly leading the way by offering this biofuel as well as consumer education on its use and benefits," said Bill Honnef, VeraSun's senior vice president of sales and marketing.
GM manufactures E85 flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs).
Brookings, S.D.-based VeraSun has two operating production facilities: Aurora, S.D., and Fort Dodge, Iowa, and it is building a third facility in Charles City, Iowa, and has two additional facilities under development in Welcome, Minn., and northwestern Iowa. Upon completion of the new facilities, VeraSun will have an annual production capacity of approximately 560 million gallons of ethanol per year. VeraSun's branded E85 is currently available at more than 80 retail locations across the Midwest.
Altoona, Pa.-based Sheetz operates 327 convenience locations throughout
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.
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