Nebraska Among First to Adopt American Ethanol Labels

If you're a NASCAR fan, the new labels coming to Nebraska fuel pumps will look familiar. For the past four years, American Ethanol has been the fuel of choice for NASCAR in the form of E15. The American Ethanol brand is on the green flag at the start of every race and appears prominently on cars and promotional materials on the NASCAR circuit. Now the American Ethanol brand is making its way to the consumer marketplace through a nationwide pump laving initiative--and Nebraska is one of the first states to implement it.

"The American Ethanol brand labels will help consumers more easily identify this clean-burning, homegrown fuel at the pump," said David Bracht, Director of Nebraska Energy Office. "Once this brand is implemented nationwide, consumers will be able to find American Ethanol virtually anywhere they travel."

The American Ethanol labels will identify higher ethanol blends including E15, E30, and E85. E85 can be used in 2001 and newer vehicles, while ethanol fuels such as E30 and E85 can be used in flex fuel vehicles. Flex fuels vehicles can operate on any combination of ethanol and gasoline up to 85 percent ethanol (E85). About one in seven Nebraskans is driving a flex fuel vehicle.

"For more than seven million miles, NASCAR has proven that American Ethanol is a reliable, high-performance fuel," said Dennis Gengenbach, a Smithfield, Nebraska farmer and Director on the Nebraska Corn Board. "Bringing the American Ethanol brand to your local retailer will provide even further assurance that this is a fuel we can all count on for performance and cleaner air."

Ethanol Creates Economic Vitality in Nebraska

Ethanol production has been a boon to Nebraska'a economic vitality, according to a recent economic impact study conducted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln economists. The study, entitled "Economic Impacts of the Ethanol Industry in Nebraska", was published in mid-April. The study examined the economic impact of Nebraska's ethanol industry from 2009 through 2014. During that five-year period, Nebraska's ethanol industry generated products valued between $4 billion and $6.6 billion annually. This value includes not only ethanol but also distillers grains, a livestock feed that is produced at ethanol plants.

"Nebraska has a unique advantage known as the 'Golden Triangle'", said Tim Scheer, a St. Paul, Nebraska, farmer and a member of the Nebraska Corn Board. "The combination of corn, livestock and ethanol production provides significant opportunity to add value at every step along the production chain--and that creates jobs, revenue and economic vitality from border to border in the state." Additionally, Nebraska is rivaling Texas as the top cattle-on-feed state due in large part to Nebraska's readily available supply of corn and distillers grains. Nebraska is in the enviable position of being the westernmost major producer of ethanol. Nebraska is one of the nation's leading bioenergy exporters with 96 percent of its ethanol production leaving the state and is well positioned to serve the fuel demands of the United States. Additionally, 58 percent of the distillers grains is shipped out of the state, primarily to dairies in California and beef producers in Texas.

International demand for ethanol and its co-products also bodes well for Nebraska's economic future. "Canada imports 40 percent of the U.S. ethanol exports and China imports 39 percent of the U.S. distillers grains," said Todd Sneller, Nebraska Ethanol Board Administrator. "There is a strong demand throughout the world for ethanol and its co-products, so we continue to look for ways to expand the Nebraska market as well as international markets in an effort to bring more economic prosperity to Nebraska."

While the recent study focused on the past five years, it is interesting to note that Nebraska's ethanol production started in 1985 at 9 million gallons per year. By 1995, the industry was at 200 million gallons. A little over ten years later, that number had grown to 858 million gallons--and grew to over 2 billion gallons by 2011. "The ethanol industry has been a huge economic driver for the entire state," Scheer added. "In just 30 years, ethanol production has changed the landscape in Nebraska and is poised to help our state become a national leader in the production of bioenergy and livestock feed."

Kum & Go to Offer E85 Fuel for $0.85/Gallon

Flex-Fuel Vehicle Owners Can Save on American Ethanol-Blended Fuel for Six Consecutive Thursdays in the Omaha Metro Area

Drivers of flex-fuel vehicles in Nebraska and Iowa will be able to fill up with E85 for just 85 cents per gallon during six upcoming promotions at Kum & Go locations in the Omaha metro area.

The promotions will take place as follows:

Currently, one in seven drivers in the Omaha metro has a flex-fuel vehicle, which can run on any blend of American Ethanol and gasoline, from E10 to E85. However, many drivers do not realize they own a flex-fuel vehicle, let alone the additional fuel options they have at the pump. To confirm your vehicle is flex-fuel, look for a yellow fuel cap, a flex-fuel emblem, or check your owner’s manual.

“Consumers like to have a choice when they are making a purchasing decision at the pump,” said Jim Pirolli, Vice President of Fuels at Kum & Go convenience stores. “Kum & Go will soon begin to offer E15 at locations in Omaha and already offers E85 at seven locations across the metro area.  The E85 promotions are a great way to bring awareness to the variety of fuel blends we offer and provide an opportunity to promote the many environmental and economic benefits of ethanol-blended fuels.”

According to the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, when flex-fuel drivers fill up with E85 – a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, and other American Ethanol-blended fuels, they’re improving air quality and reducing causes of asthma, heart disease and lung cancer not only for themselves but also their children and grandchildren. E85 is approved as a Clean Air Choice^® and when flex-fuel drivers fill up with E85 rather than 100 percent gasoline, they are significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions that enter our air.

“The health and environmental benefits of American Ethanol is so great we want all consumers to use American Ethanol,” said Ryan Welsh, Director of Sales & Marketing of American Ethanol.  “Even if a consumer doesn’t drive a flex-fuel vehicle, they still have the option to use American Ethanol fuel such E15 and reap the benefits.”

All standard vehicles can operate on E10, a blend of 10 percent American Ethanol and 90 percent unleaded gasoline. E15 with 15 percent American Ethanol has been approved for use in all standard vehicles model year 2001 and newer. E15 is gaining a foothold at retailers across the U.S. and is available at a growing number of locations. Kum & Go recently announced that E15 will soon be offered at several Midwest retail stations, including Nebraska and Iowa.

The E85 promotion is sponsored by Green Plains, Iowa Corn Promotion Board, Nebraska Corn Board, and Nebraska Ethanol Board in cooperation with Kum & Go. For additional information about these promotions and American Ethanol, visit E85Omaha.com.

Podcast: Flex Fuels provide options at the pump

 In this podcast, Dennis Gengenbach, director on the Nebraska Corn Board and farmer from Smithfield, Nebraska, shares about the choices consumers have at the pump. When you drive a flex fuel vehicle - as one in seven Nebraskans do - you have the choice to use flex fuels with ethanol at the pump and will not be held hostage by the oil company monopoly. You can fuel up with E85 when the price is right or you can choose E10, E15 or E30 when it makes sense to do so. In addition to these choices at the pump, flex fuels with ethanol also provide huge health benefits for our nation as they help reduce toxic particles in exhaust that have been linked to many serious respiratory diseases. To learn about the health benefits of ethanol, be sure to watch the new movie PUMP, which is now available for download on iTunes.

Now, click here to listen to the podcast.

Podcasts are also available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.

Big savings on ethanol flex fuels at U-Stop

If you're cool to flex fuel, you can fill up for less—a lot less—this coming Tuesday.

On Tuesday, November 25, flex fuel ethanol blends will be available at deep discounts from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the U-Stop location at 84th & Highway 6 in Lincoln.  E85 will be discounted by 85¢ per gallon; E30 will be 30¢ less and E15 will be 15¢ off for the two-hour period.  Customers must be driving a flex fuel vehicle to fill up with these blends. Other restrictions apply. See store for details.

The flex fuel promotion is sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Ethanol Board in partnership with U-Stop. 

There are nearly 200,000 flex fuel vehicles in Nebraska, which can run on any blend of ethanol and ordinary gasoline up to E85, or 85 percent ethanol.  

"About one in seven Nebraskans is driving a flex fuel vehicle and many don't even realize it," said Kim Clark. "You might have a flex fuel insignia on your vehicle or you might have a yellow gas cap.  And you can always check your owner's manual to see if you're driving a flex fuel vehicle."

In addition to the at-the-pump discounts, flex fuel drivers will also receive discount coupons on future flex fuel purchases.  A number of in-store specials will also be available at U-Stop during the two-hour discount period.