Kansas barely makes the top ten in ethanol production by state, but it now ranks number one in selling the first gallons of legal 15% ethanol-blended gasoline (E15) under the Environmental Protection Agency waiver.
The nation’s first E15 gallons were pumped at the Zarco 66 “Oasis” station in Lawrence, Kansas on Tuesday and, not coincidentally, the first customer to buy it was Jere White, Executive Director of the Kansas Corn Commission. “We were there when the last sticker went on,” said White. “We wanted to be there to pump the first gallons into a non-flex-fuel car under the waiver.” White fueled up a 2010 Chevy Camaro with E15 priced two cents a gallon less than E10.
Listen to interview with White here: Jere White with KS Corn Commission
Scott Zaremba is owner of Zarco 66 stations and pleased to be the first to offer consumers real choice at the pump in the form of E15 ethanol fuel. “We just whole-heartedly believe that alternatives are what we need to be moving toward to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and also being able to have cleaner burning product,” said Zaremba. He is offering the E15 as one of the choices at the station’s blender pump, which was one of the first installed in the state in 2008.
Zaremba also plans to offer E15 at a second Zarco 66 in Ottawa, and an announcement on that is expected soon. A formal grand opening for the pumps is planned for Wednesday, July 18.
Listen to interview with Zaremba here: Zarco CEO Scott Zaremba
“Thankfully we do have a marketer in the great state of Kansas who is willing to offer E15 for his customers,” said Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen. “He believes in providing consumers with options that might lower the price of gasoline.”
Dinneen says Zarco had to overcome the issue of getting the proper blendstock for E15 shipped in for the summer months. “It’s not ideal but it’s important to get E15 out there in some form or fashion and we’re excited about it.”
It has been just over a month since the EPA gave final approval for the sale and use of E15 ethanol blends in light duty vehicles made since 2001, and over three years since the waiver was first requested.
Listen to an interview with Bob Dinneen here where he also talks about yesterday’s House panel on the Renewable Fuel Standard and how he remains optimistic about the American farmer being able to grow enough corn to meet all demands. RFA CEO Bob Dinneen