For several months, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has been tracking wholesale E85 prices in Iowa and this week found the largest price differential since they began the E85 Price Listing Service: $1.39 per gallon less than gasoline wholesale.

Kum and Go E85 station in Stuart, IA on June 16, 2014. Price: $2.74 per gallon. Photo: Joanna Schroeder

On Monday, June 16, the average price of regular 87-octane gasoline without ethanol was $3.18 per gallon at the Des Moines Terminal, according to OPIS. Meanwhile, Absolute Energy, an ethanol plant in St. Ansgar, Iowa, was selling E85 for $1.79 per gallon.

“E85 is currently being sold in wholesale markets across Iowa at more than a $1.00 per gallon discount to regular gasoline, and that’s serious savings for Iowa families,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “With the Summer driving season in full swing and uncertainty in the Middle East keeping oil prices elevated, using ethanol is not only helping to support the state’s economy and energy security, it’s also providing Iowa families with a much needed price break at the pump.”

E85 is a fuel blend containing between 70 and 85 percent ethanol. E85 is currently sold at more than 200 fueling sites in Iowa, and can be used in all flex-fuel vehicles (FFV). Click here to see a list of all the E85 stations in Iowa. To determine if your vehicle can use E85, please check your owner’s manual, the vehicle’s fuel cap, or click here for a list of FFVs.