One of the first E85 gasoline pumps in the region will be open for business in Jasper, Ind., on Monday, joining a fast-growing list of outlets offering the ethanol-blended fuel to the public.
The pump is located at the Sonoco Gateway Circle A in Jasper. U.S. Rep. Mike Sodrel, a Republican from Indiana’s Ninth District, is scheduled to be on hand along with members of the Jasper Chamber of Commerce and Ackerman Oil representatives for a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday at 4 p.m.
E85 contains 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The fuel burns more cleanly than regular gasoline and is viewed by some as a way to reduce American dependence on foreign oil.
A number of specially designated “flexible-fuel” vehicles are equipped to switch between E85 or unleaded gasoline when needed.
The Jasper E85 pump is the first to be located in the Ninth Congressional District. It will join a growing list of 35 E85 pumps across Indiana, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
Before the Jasper E85 pump, the closest places for Southwestern Indiana drivers to get the fuel included a location in Washington, Ind., and an outlet in Terre Haute. Including the Jasper pump, Indiana now has 35 places to purchase the fuel.
State officials have identified ethanol production as key to Indiana’s agricultural future. Indiana is the fifth largest producer of corn and the fourth largest soybean producer in the country. Both are key ingredients for producing biofuels.
Several biofuel plants are also in the planning stages across the state, including two recently announced plants in Mount Vernon, Ind.
In January 2005, Indiana did not have any biofuel pumps open to the public. State officials now expect 49 such pumps to open statewide by the end of the year.
Earlier this week, Ford Motor Co. and VeraSun, a large ethanol producer, announced plans to open 50 E85 outlets in Illinois and Missouri. American auto makers recently announced plans to ramp up production of flex-fuel vehicles.