E15 Ethanol Blend Arrives in Sioux City

by Dave Dreeszen (Sioux City Journal) Motorists in Sioux City now have another choice of ethanol-blended gasoline. The Murphy USA station next to the Walmart Supercenter at 3400 Singing Hills Blvd. recently became the first metro area retailer to sell E15, a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent regular gas.
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At the Murphy USA station Thursday, E15 was $2.03 per gallon, 10 cents less than Super Unleaded E10.
The 89 octane, E15 also is a higher performance fuel, compared to the 87-octane in most of the 10-percent ethanol blended gas, said Greg Popke, who operates a service station in Rock Rapids.
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From June 1 to Sept. 15, in most regions of the U.S., the EPA regulates the vapor pressure of gasoline sold at gas stations in an effort to reduce evaporative emissions from gas during the summer ozone season.
A waiver from the federal agency allows E10 to be sold in Iowa as a registered fuel in the summer. But the waiver does not extend to E15.
That requires Popkes and other station owners to switch the stickers on the E15 pumps in the summer, warning motorists to use the blend only in flex-fuel vehicles.
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In recent years, state leaders have done yeoman's work to promote the sale and use of E15. In 2011, Iowa became the first state to incentivize the fuel, approving a 3-cents-per-gallon tax credit for every gallon sold. In addition, the state offers grants to offset the cost of installing new pumps or other equipment.
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The Singing Hills location was an easier transition, she said, because it has four underground tanks, one each for E85, 87-octane, 93-octane, and biodiesel. A blending dispenser allows the station to mix E10 with E85 to make E15, she said. READ MORE