Flex Factor: Minnesota Is a National Leader When It Comes to the Flex Fuel E-85

by David Richards (Austin Daily Herald) ...The fuel, which basically blends 85 percent Ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, has skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade in the United States and especially here in Minnesota.

“Minnesota leads the country with 355 E-85 stations,” says Kelly Marczak, director of clean fuel and vehicle technologies for the American Lung Association of Minnesota.

In the U.S., there are roughly 2,200 E-85 retailers, and Minnesota has been a leader in the development and use of the fuel for more than a decade.

In 1998, the Twin Cities was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of the three pilot markets for E-85 to build the fueling infrastructure and customer market. A coalition of partners called the Minnesota E-85 Team came together to accomplish this goal.