Ethanol producers step up to pay for required E15 fuel survey

Ethanol Producers Magazine
By Kris Bevill
April 23, 2012

A group of 99 ethanol producers has taken on the task of funding the nationwide fuel survey required by the U.S. EPA for E15 implementation. The fuel survey represents the final federal hurdle to allowing E15 to be sold for use in 2001 and newer vehicles, and the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and the American Coalition for Ethanol praised ethanol producers for funding the survey despite the fact that the producers own only a few of the 160,000 retail stations that will be subjected to it.

“While rhetorical battles in Washington are waged to find a solution to lowering prices, America’s ethanol producers are stepping up to bring a cleaner, cheaper and more American-made fuel to the market,” the groups said in a statement. “With this survey in place, E15 is now ready in the eyes of EPA for commercial sale.”

The fuel survey is an annual requirement and will be conducted by the Reformulated Gasoline Survey Association. The association will collect and test more than 7,500 gasoline samples to check for ethanol content and other variables. If E15 is detected, the RFGSA will verify that the retailer has properly displayed E15 labels as required by the EPA. The first fuel samples will be collected on May 1.

Read more