NCGA Invests an Additional $500,000 in Prime the Pump

(National Corn Growers Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The National Corn Growers Association took another big step toward providing the driving public with lower gas prices and more fuel choice including better access to higher blends of home-grown American Ethanol.

NCGA announced the investment of an additional $500,000 to an innovative program called Prime the Pump, which seeks to expand fueling infrastructure capable of delivering higher blends of ethanol fuel to American consumers. This increases the NCGA commitment to $2 million in the last year.

Prime the Pump will use the funds pledged by corn farmers as matching funds to secure grants under the recently announced program by the USDA. USDA’s Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership is making $100 million in grants available.

Prime the Pump is aimed at retailers with high volumes and multiple locations. Retailers have to commit to a five-year marketing program, E15 must be offered at all dispensers under the canopy, signage on the street must include E15 and retailers must agree to actively promote the fuel.

“Big Oil and others opposed to ethanol keep setting up road blocks, so we need to work all the more to ensure domestic renewable ethanol moves forward,” said Bowling. READ MORE