A new tool from the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is designed to help fuel station owners see what steps they need to take to offer their customers 88 Octane fuel. Flex Check can help owners make decisions regarding new tanks and equipment, and to see if their current equipment can be used to distribute the popular ethanol blend gasoline.
Any gasoline passenger vehicle that is model year 2001 or newer can safely use E15, which is often sold as 88 Octane gasoline. It is almost always a few cents less per gallon than regular unleaded.
Ethanol is a renewable fuel that produces fewer tailpipe emissions than traditional gasoline. It is also a homegrown fuel. Minnesota, a national leader in E15 sales, produces more than a billion gallons of ethanol each year.
Flex Check is a great tool for Minnesota stations who are considering selling 88 Octane. And while the recent HBIIP grant application window has closed, there may be new funding opportunities coming in the future for Minnesota. In late January, at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Walz administration proposed $2 million per year for a biofuels infrastructure grant program. These grants would be used to make higher ethanol blends, like 88 Octane, the new regular fuel in Minnesota. Fuel retailers would be able to apply for a grant to help cover the cost of upgrading or replacing their infrastructure. We will be sure to stay up to date on this news as it develops.