Rising Gas Prices Could Boost Sales of Cheaper Ethanol Blends

More motorists may soon be trying ethanol-blended fuel – not because of their concerns about the environment, but because of concerns over their wallets. Ethanol industry leaders say the recent sharp rise in gasoline prices could prove to be a boon for ethanol-blend gasoline, which is as much as 5-cents-per-gallon cheaper than regular gas at pumps around the Midwest. "It's true that the economy of ethanol makes it more attractive to consumers financially than straight gasoline," said Ron Lamberty, market development director of the American Coalition for Ethanol in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. "If there's an upside to higher gas prices, I guess that's it." In the competitive market around Omaha, some gas stations offer E-10 gas – 90 percent gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol – at prices 4 cents a gallon cheaper than regular. One of those is the Fantasy's station in Papillion, where a gallon of E-10 sold Monday for $1.64, compared with $1.68 for a gallon of regular blend gas. While motorists haven't exactly abandoned conventional gasoline, sales of E-10 "might have jumped a little bit," said station manager Lorrie Randels. "Most people who buy unleaded are die-hard unleaded fans who want nothing to do with […]

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