Next time you’re running on empty, bookmark this page and check out one of the many locations around our state offering clean, renewable fuels.
Ethanol: Internal combustion engines cannot run on pure gasoline. Without something to boost the octane rating (a measure of the amount of compression a fuel can handle), engines either would have low power or would run badly, and not for long. We use compounds extracted from petroleum, but the resulting emissions are as bad as sending lead into the air. Ethanol, on the other hand, works extremely well, costs a lot less and burns much more cleanly. It’s a win all around.
Biodiesel: According to BioDiesel.org, the science is clear: Biodiesel Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions are on average 80 percent below petroleum diesel including land use impacts. Government agencies and national laboratories have determined that biodiesel has significant lifecycle greenhouse gas reductions. Over time, these studies have more accurately quantified additional impacts such as Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC).
Biodiesel Blends
Biodiesel blends of 20 percent and below will work in any diesel engine without the need for modifications. These blends will operate in diesel engines just like petroleum diesel. If the blend has been properly treated by the petroleum company, it will work year-round, even in cold climates. B20 also provides similar horsepower, torque, and mileage as diesel.
Ethanol Blends
Ethanol is blended with gasoline in various amounts for use in vehicles.
E10
10 percent ethanol, classified as “substantially similar” to gasoline by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and legal for use in any gasoline-powered vehicle. E10 is sold in every state. In fact, more than 95 percent of U.S. gasoline contains up to 10 percent ethanol to boost octane, meet air quality requirements or satisfy the Renewable Fuel Standard.
E15
Up to 15 percent ethanol. EPA-approved in 2011 for use in model year 2001 and newer conventional vehicles. E15 delivers higher octane at a lower price and results in lower evaporative emissions.
E20-E30
Higher percentage blends of ethanol offer the best and least expensive way to increase octane for higher performance engines. In addition, higher blends result in lower sulfur content. For example, E30 cuts the amount of sulfur in gasoline by two-thirds.
E85
E85 (also known as flex-fuel) is a high-level ethanol-gasoline blend containing 51 percent to 83 percent ethanol, depending on geography and season. It can be used in designated flexible fuel vehicles only. About one quarter of vehicles produced in 2015 will be flex-fuel capable.