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Growth Energy pleased with E15 Growth

The sale of gasoline blended with E15 has grown since the EPA lifted restrictions this summer, allowing year-round sales.

Mike O’Brien with Growth Energy tells Brownfield there are now more than 2-thousand retail sites selling E15.

“With 13 of the largest retail chains in the nation, they sell 200-to-300% more gasoline than your typical retail site so things are definitely picking up on the retail front.”

O’Brien says that’s very good news for farmers, ethanol producers and consumers.

“It sells for about 3-to-10 cents less per gallon than what a consumer normally buys and when they buy it, not only are they saving money, the higher octane, their engine performs better. And it’s also cleaner burning so it’s better for the engine as well as the environment.”

O’Brien expects another 7 Billion gallons of ethanol demand in the marketplace because of E15 growth and more retail chains selling it.

He says it also sets the stage for higher ethanol blends like E25 because the equipment required for the higher blend is very similar to that for E15.