The federal government has taken another
step toward wide distribution of gasoline mixed with 15 percent
ethanol by allowing manufacturers to register as suppliers.
While the EPA is moving the process forward by allowing the
registration, E15 still has to clear another set of federal tests
and become a registered fuel in individual states. Ethanol makers
then must convince petroleum marketers to sell it at gas stations.
Most ethanol fuel sold for passenger cars and pickups today is
10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gas. The new blend boosts ethanol
to 15 percent. It would only be used in 2001 and newer vehicles.
Twenty ethanol makers that have registered to sell E15 are based
in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.
