Sheetz introduces corn-based E85 fuel to Western Pa. market
Marshall Boone never knew his Chrysler Voyager LX was a flexible-fuel vehicle, able to run on traditional gasoline and a corn-based, clean-burning fuel known as E85.
Boone was surprised Monday when he pumped the E85 fuel from the lime green-colored pump and found it sold for $2.199 per gallon at the Sheetz along William Penn Highway in Monroeville. Regular gasoline at the self-serve pump was selling for $2.39 per gallon.
"I'm going to try it out and see if it works. ... The price is right," said Boone, 65, of Monroeville. The fuel obviously worked, since he was able to drive his vehicle away from the pump without stalling out.
Alternative fuel experts say E85 fuel -- a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline -- could improve air quality and advance the process of weaning the United States away from its dependence on foreign oil.
But sales of E85 could be blunted if gasoline prices plummet significantly.
"Yes, to some extent it could be hurt. A lot depends on the price of crude oil. As the price of gasoline comes down, ethanol has to be priced appropriately. The high price of gasoline is what makes alternative energy sources viable," said Mike Lorenz, vice president of petroleum supply for Altoona-based Sheetz Inc.
Lorenz said 65 percent of the price of traditional gasoline is determined by the price of crude oil. In addition to the Monroeville location, Sheetz sells E85 at stores on Campbells Run Road in Robinson and Route 51 in Pleasant Hills.
Sheetz is the first retail chain to offer the fuel in Pennsylvania, the company said. It has partnered with the state, General Motors Corp. and E85's manufacturer, VeraSun Energy, the second-largest ethanol producer in the United States, based in Brookings, S.D.
However, E85 can only be used in flexible-fuel vehicles, which are designed to run on either E85 or traditional gasoline. Of the roughly 6 million flexible-fuel vehicles on the road today, about 2 million are made by General Motors, said Brad Beauchamp, who is part of GM's alternative-fuel vehicle team.
"We want to take the environmental debate out of the vehicle. Hydrogen fuel cells is the endgame, but we're 10 to 12 years away from that. Our hope is that E85 will be the fuel of choice. It has bigger potential to help the environment and lower our dependence on foreign oil," Beauchamp said.
"It's not a bad product, but I'm on the fence with it. You have to be careful because you need a flexible-fuel car to use it. But there's nothing wrong with it," said Don Bowers, fuels coordinator for Superior Petroleum on McKnight Road.
Bowers wasn't so sure that alternative-fuel producers could get away from foreign oil entirely. "To produce ethanol, you have to cook it. It takes fuel to make fuel," he said.
VeraSun has ethanol production facilities in Aurora, S.D., and Fort Dodge, Iowa. The company is building a third facility in Charles City, Iowa, and two facilities are under development in Minnesota and northwestern Iowa.
When those plants are built, VeraSun will have an annual production capacity of about 560 million gallons of ethanol annually, said Rick Eggebrecht, director of marketing for VeraSun.
Ethanol is a significant market for U.S. corn, consuming more than 1.43 billion bushels in 2005, according to the National Corn Growers Association, which represents about 33,000 members. Eggebrecht said 2.8 gallons of ethanol can be produced from one bushel of corn.
Sheetz's Lorenz said another challenge is getting the E85 fuel to as many markets as possible. E85 cannot be transported through existing gasoline or oil pipelines, he said, because of its tendency to absorb water. This could, however, benefits truck, rail and barge shippers.
Motorists with flexible-fuel vehicles using E85 can expect fewer miles per gallon.
"In general it's a good development, but motorists need to be aware they can expect a 10 percent to 30 percent drop in fuel economy," said Brian Newbacher, director of public affairs for AAA East Central.
