Ethanol fuel hits Greensburg gas station

By Paul Glasser, Greensburg Daily News

For the last month, ethanol fuel is newly available at the Energy 24 plus service station located on Main Street in Greensburg. The product appears to be very popular according to Mike Schwering the local station manager .

The local station received a grant from the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition to pay for new equipment that would allow them to pump biofuels. The biofuel mixture is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Only a handful of other stations across the state offer E-85 fuel. The fuel is partially produced from corn and the sales of this product supports local agriculture.

“It’s nice to be able to support the farmers,” said Schwering.

The equipment was installed several months ago, when the station installed new storage tanks and pumps. The new biofuel has several advantages because it burns cleanly and produces less pollution. It also reduces dependence on foreign crude oil and costs less too.

“This gives the community another fuel alternative,” Schwering said.

The only problem with E-85 biofuel is it’s high combustion temperature. The fuel has an octane rating of 105 and can cause damage to vehicles that aren’t designed to burn biofuels. Many motorists see the 30 cent price difference and don’t pay attention to any of the warnings. Motorists can check the Internet or call a local dealer to find out if a certain make and model are compatible with biofuels.

“You need to be careful and check that your vehicle is flex-fuel compatible,” Schwering said. “It can burn right through the rings.”

Some vehicles may also experience a slight decrease in fuel efficiency, usually less than 8 percent. But with the lower price, it’s still a good bargain according to Schwering.

“It’s still very economic,” Schwering said.

The biofuels appear to be a popular choice as we sell almost 6,000 gallons a month. Schwering only expected to sell about 3,000 gallons when they first began pumping the product.

“Sales continue to grow every day,” he said. “Just make sure it goes in the right vehicle.”