This month is all about alternative fuels, and here to start us off is Mike Lefever of the Colorado Corn Administrative Committee (CCAC). CCAC invests in ethanol, a cleaner-burning fuel made from grain corn. Mike fills us in on all the benefits of E15, its availability, uses, and all there is to know about the alternative fuel. And the best part? It’s available today!
MWS: CAN YOU SHARE SOME BACKGROUND ABOUT YOURSELF?
LEFEVER: I am currently a board member of the Colorado Corn Administrative Committee (CCAC), which is an organization that supplies the sustainable corn production used to produce E15. I also serve as chair for the market development action team for the CCAC. On the national level, I am on the board of directors for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) where I serve on the finance committee as well as a liaison between NCGA and Kentucky, Virginia, and Iowa corn growers. Additionally, I’m an advisor to the US Grains Council Western Hemisphere team. I also raise no-till dryland corn on my own farm just southwest of Haxtun, Colorado.
MWS: WHAT SETS ETHANOL APART FROM OTHER TYPES OF FUELS?
LEFEVER: Ethanol is remarkably better for your truck. It burns cleaner and cooler than regular petroleum fuels, which makes for less wear and tear while also enhancing performance and horsepower. It’s also a much cheaper fuel compared to regular gasoline. To fill up your truck with E15, it’ll cost three to ten cents less per gallon.
MWS: HAS THE USE OF ETHANOL IN GAS ENGINES EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS? ARE WE SEEING IT ADOPTED MORE WIDELY OR DO THERE SEEM TO BE SOME WHO ARE SKEPTICAL OF USING THE FUEL AS AN ALTERNATIVE?
LEFEVER: The evolution is remarkable. Using ethanol or E15 (or known as e-blend in some parts of the country) is safe for all cars, SUVs, and light-duty trucks 2001 and newer. And now, nearly all new 2020 automobiles are explicitly approved to use E15 by all manufacturers. Drivers have logged 16 billion miles on E15. More myths behind E15 are starting to get debunked as awareness increases and fewer people are timid to make the switch from using regular gasoline because of all the benefits that come from ethanol. There is a misconception that E15 will harm your engine, which isn’t true—in fact, it runs cleaner. I use it in my F-150, and I love it.
MWS: WHY IS E15 BENEFICIAL FOR THOSE IN THE VOCATIONAL, DAY-USE WORK TRUCK INDUSTRY?
LEFEVER: E15 is completely safe for light-duty trucks. Switching to E15 will not only positively impact the performance of a work truck engines, but it will decrease the impact it has on the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the transportation industry makes up 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. By using E15 in your day-use work truck in place of regular gasoline, you replace three toxic gasoline additives linked to both cancer and smog. This reduces the risk of exposure to these additives both at the pump and in the air, lowering the risk of harmful lung conditions.
MWS: HOW IS E15 BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
LEFEVER: E15 is a cleaner-burning renewable fuel. When compared to petroleum, which is considered a finite resource, E15 releases fewer particulates and greenhouse gases. This alone reduces CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by 43%. In 2019, those who used ethanol reduced CO2 levels by 54.1 million metric tons, which is the equivalent of removing 11.5 million cars from the road for an entire year. Talk about a cleanse!
MWS: HOW DOES E15 COMPARE TO OTHER SUSTAINABLE FUEL SOLUTIONS SUCH AS ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
LEFEVER: EVs are only one part of the solution, but they are a long way off from widespread adoption. We have a solution that is available here and now called ethanol. The vast majority of trucks on the road now can use E15 and start cleaning the air and reducing GHG emissions. When it comes to meeting the emissions goal many states have set, ethanol deserves a seat at the table as the “right here and now” solution.
MWS: IS E15 WIDELY AVAILABLE FOR THOSE IN THE WORK TRUCK INDUSTRY?
LEFEVER: Yes, E15 is available in 30 states at just over 2,000 gas stations. After the EPA lifted the regulation on E15 usage in May 2019 allowing all American drivers to access E15 year-round, the availability is only expected to increase from here forward.
MWS: ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS?
LEFEVER: Start choosing E15 gas on your next fill-up and in your fleet vehicles, as well. And, if it’s not available at the station you typically visit, ask for it to be added to the selection. Help spread the word about the positive benefits of this higher blend of ethanol fuel by encouraging your friends and family to also choose E15.
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Mike Lefever is a board member of the Colorado Corn Administrative Committee (CCAC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). A past president of CACC, Lefever is current chairman for the market development action team for CCAC and an advisor to US Grains Council Western Hemisphere team. Find out more, visit www.coloradocorn.com and www.lookforthebluehose.com.
