Kansas Corn Commission, EPIC Announce Ethanol Blender Pump Program

Offers funding to help offset infrastructure costs for fuel retailers

Colwich, Kan. (Aug. 18, 2008) - Today Kansas will become the second state to lead the nation in raising public awareness for higher blends of ethanol as the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), Kansas Corn Commission and ICM, Inc. collaborate to launch a blender pump incentive program across the state of Kansas.

“Consumers are looking for relief at the pump, and blender pumps will allow gas stations to sell more blends of ethanol-enriched fuel to consumers driving flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs),” said EPIC Deputy Director, Robert White. “This program will provide support and incentives to fuel station retailers who want the opportunity to offer blender pumps, and raise awareness among consumers.”

This major initiative will help fuel station retailers obtain funding and the equipment needed to sell higher blends of ethanol, which range from E20 (20 percent ethanol and 80 percent unleaded gasoline) to E50 (50 percent ethanol and 50 percent unleaded gasoline) and can only be used in FFVs. One of the main goals is to increase the state’s blender pump infrastructure by installing a minimum of 100 blender pumps over the next year. Currently, four blender pumps are open in the state thanks to a pilot program adopted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture that made Kansas one of the first states in the nation to allow ethanol blender pumps.

“This blender pump program will help expand higher blends of ethanol through blender pumps while also giving consumers a break at the pump and allowing them to use a product produced right here in Kansas,” said Kansas Corn Commission Chairman, Bob Timmons. “Our program will help strengthen our economy by encouraging blender pump infrastructure development, and take us one step closer to lessening our dependence on foreign oil.”

A pump promotion was held before the announcement was made to give FFV drivers an opportunity to fill up with the mid-level blends of ethanol at a new station in Colwich Kan. ICM, Inc. was instrumental in adding blender pumps to this station. Many officials, including U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback and representatives from the Kansas Department of Agriculture were on hand to celebrate a monumental day for Kansas and renewable fuels.
 

Updated July 1, 2008
High Level Fillup

Kansas Congressman Dennis Moore (right) and EPA Region 7 Administrator John Askew (left) talk about renewable fuels while fueling the Kansas Corn car at the grand opening event for the Zarco Earth Friendly Fuels station in Lawrence on June 30.. Congressman Moore and Administrator Askew carpooled together from Kansas City for the event.

Zarco Earth Friendly Fuels biofuels station at 9th & Iowa in Lawrence held its grand opening on Monday, June 30.. The station sells only fuels blended with ethanol or biodiesel, and is the first of its kind in Kansas. It is also the first station to implement the state’s ethanol blender pump pilot program. A blender pump can dispense several blends of ethanol blended fuels—the Zarco station sells E10, E20, E30 and E85 fuel. In addition to its focus on biofuels, the station is adding other earth-friendly features like a green roof with plants, solar and wind power and a rain garden. The Environmental Protection Agency held a news conference to tout the new earth friendly station. The Kansas Corn Commission and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council sponsored an ethanol promotion, marking down all four blends of ethanol fuel.

Ethanol Blender Pumps in Kansas!
Kansas now boasts three ethanol blender pumps that sell a variety of ethanol blended fuels. Ethanol fuels over 10 percent (E10) are for use in flexible fuel vehicles. Many more ethanol blender pumps will be installed in Kansas in the next year, offering motorists more fueling options and making ethanol blended fuels more accessible throughout Kansas.

LAWRENCE
Zarco Earth Friendly Fuels, 9th & Iowa, Lawrence, KS
Fuels offered: E10, E20, E30, E40 and E85

GARDEN CITY--Grand Opening Celebration August 15!
U Pump It (Country Corner), 156 N. Campus Dr. (Campus/Hwy 50), Garden City, KS
Fuels offered: E10, E20, E40, E50 and E85

COLWICH--Grand Opening Celebration Soon!
TJ’s Convenience, 104 W Chicago Ave, Colwich, KS
Fuels offered: E10, E20, E30, E40 and E85

Kansas Growers Plant Largest Corn Crop in Modern History
Kansas farmers planted 4.1 million acres of corn this year, according to the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service. The 2008 acreage estimate represents a five percent increase over 2007 and is the highest corn acreage in Kansas since 1936. The increased acreage shows a strong grower commitment to provide a plentiful supply of corn for the livestock and ethanol industries, according to the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Corn Commission. READ MORE

Rumors of High Dollar Ethanol Disinformation Campaign Prove to Be True

In early May, the Kansas Corn Growers Association put out a news release pointing to rumors of a multi-million dollar public relations campaign against ethanol funded by the food manufacturers industry. This week, Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, outed the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s smear campaign. On Thursday, Iowa Senator Charles Grassley went a step further, making a statement about the campaign on the Senate floor. The Senator also posted the GMA request for proposal as well as the public relations campaign proposal from Washington, DC firm Glover Park which was one of the firms hired for the job. . . .  read more

Read Senator Chuck Grassley's Statement               Visit the National Corn Growers Association for more information

What's the strategy behind the corn/ethanol smear campaign?

GMA Request for Proposal                                                    Glover Park public relations firm proposal 
 

Kansas Corn 

It's Growing! Corn is an important component of the Kansas agricultural economy. In fact, corn production in Kansas has more than doubled in the last ten years. . . .

2007 Kansas Corn Production Up 50%

JANUARY 2008: Kansas corn producers harvested 518 million bushels of corn in 2007, a 50 percent increase over the 2006 crop. Final 2007 production numbers were released by Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service on January 11. The 2007 yield of 149 bushels per acre is only 3 bushels below the state record set in 1996. The 2007 harvested acreage of 3.7 million acres is up 400,000 acres from 2006. Combined Kansas feedgrain production (corn and sorghum) is 730 million bushels, compared to 490 million bushels in 2006. That's a 49 percent increase! Both corn and sorghum are feedgrains that are value by the livestock and ethanol industries.

The Kansas Corn Growers Association represents the Kansas corn industry. Corn is the nation's largest agricultural crop in bushels. In 2007,  Kansas corn production totaled 518 million bushels. 2007 production is was a record thanks to higher yields and an increase in planted acres.

Although about 60 percent of the U.S. corn crop is fed to U.S. livestock, markets created by export demand and new uses are vital to the corn industry. New use research and export development efforts, funded by corn checkoff dollars through the Kansas Corn Commission has created promising new markets for corn. Over 3,500 products Americans use every day contain corn or corn by-products. Corn is used to make ethanol, a clean-burning automobile fuel. The ethanol industry is growing rapidly in Kansas.  Corn is also used to make biodegradable plastics. Every American consumes three pounds of corn every day through thousands of food uses and non-food uses.

Whether it's used to make corn dogs, corn oil or corn-based biodegradable plastics--corn is America's #1 crop!

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