CORN CHECKOFF, ETHANOL INDUSTRY SUPPORT CASEY’S GENERAL STORE IN EXPANDING ETHANOL AVAILABILITY

Tricia Braid

Apr 26, 2017  |  ICMB |  Ethanol

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois corn farmers’ checkoff dollars are bringing more ethanol to gasoline in the state in a partnership with Casey’s General Stores, Inc., that will result in the addition of E15 and E85 pumps at multiple fueling locations.

Casey’s General Stores, Inc., a Midwest convenience store chain, will expand consumer choice by offering higher ethanol blends of E15 and E85 at 17 sites in Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas. E15 is a fuel that contains 15 percent ethanol and works well for any car 2001 and newer. E85 contains up to 83 percent ethanol and is a choice for flex-fuel vehicle owners.

“We’ve been working for years to get higher ethanol blends available across Illinois and things are really coming together with this opportunity with Casey’s General Stores,” said Jim Raben, Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) Chairman. Raben farms near Ridgway. “This is a brand that is highly recognizable in rural and more populated areas and will go a long way to enhancing visibility for ethanol choices at the pump.”

Additional resources for the expansion in Illinois were provided by the Illinois ethanol industry, with whom ICMB works closely on ethanol demand projects. “The Illinois Renewable Fuels Association is pleased to support the additional pumps at Casey’s General Stores,” explained Ray Defenbaugh, ILRFA President. “We can see that more and more retailers are embracing higher ethanol blends, and Casey’s should be commended for their commitment to fuel choices and to supporting the farmers that do business with their stores.”

Other Illinois retailers with whom the ICMB and ILRFA have worked to add expanded ethanol fueling options include Qik-n-EZ, Speedway, Thorntons, Citgo, Power Energy Corp., and some FS FastStops.