The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) has used more funds to install 54 ethanol blender pumps in twelve different locations. The REAP program funded a total of 266 ethanol blender pumps in 30 states at a total cost of $4.2 million dollars in Fiscal Year 2011.

“The REAP Blender Pump program is a completely new approach to encouraging marketers to install the equipment needed to offer more ethanol blended fuel choices to consumers,” said the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Senior Vice President Ron Lamberty. “266 pumps in 30 states is especially impressive when you take into account how different this program is from the ones used by marketers in the past, and how short a timeframe USDA had to get the information out to marketers.”

Through the program, petroleum marketers were introduced to a competitive grant process that was unfamiliar to most of them, and they had a very short application window of about two months.

“The Blend Your Own (BYO) Ethanol campaign is pleased to have been involved in the planning,” Lamberty said. “Through webinars, grant writing assistance, and face-to-face meetings, we’re glad to have played a part in this program’s success. Funds will be lower in the upcoming fiscal year, so the process will be even more competitive, and ACE and BYO will continue to promote the program and assist marketers who want more information about the REAP flex fuel infrastructure program.”