The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is rounding out its 2023 petroleum marketer trade show season this week in Atlanta at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show, the world’s largest annual gathering of convenience and fuel marketing professionals.

ACE Chief Marketing Officer Ron Lamberty says their presence at these shows provides answers to prospective higher-blend ethanol marketers’ questions about infrastructure compatibility, best practices for marketing E15 and E85, and USDA’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) and its application process. “We’ve been helping retailers apply for and receive grants since HBIIP’s inception and we continue to promote the funding through our retailer website and paid media as the program evolves,” said Lamberty. “Working directly with HBIIP applicants also provides experiences we share with USDA following each application period, in an effort to reduce challenges for marketers and increase their participation in future rounds.”

After the latest slate of funding designated for USDA’s HBIIP under the Inflation Reduction Act was announced, ACE updated its retailer-focused website flexfuelforward.com to easily direct prospective E15 and flex fuels retailers to information about applying for and obtaining part of the $90 million in HBIIP grants now offered each calendar quarter for five quarters beginning July 1, 2023 and ending September 30, 2024.

Earlier this year, ACE traveled to other trade shows, including the Western Petroleum Marketers Association (WPMA) in Las Vegas, Midwest Petroleum and Convenience Tradeshow (M-PACT) in Indianapolis, Pacific Fuels and Convenience Summit (pfcs) in San Diego, and others. ACE’s presence at these shows provides answers to prospective higher-blend ethanol marketers’ questions about infrastructure compatibility, best practices for marketing E15 and E85, and USDA’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) and its application process.