Cheaper ethanol gasoline now available to Minnesota drivers

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (KMSP) - More fuel options could soon be coming to a gas pump near you. For some it's worth celebrating, for others it’s confusing.

Ethanol supporters hope to help make the choices clearer for drivers and Governor Mark Dayton has declared Saturday Ethanol Day in Minnesota.

“I’ve been using it for almost three years now,” said Shane Mumm, an ethanol gas user. “I get good gas mileage with it. My car runs really smooth. I like it and it’s cheap.”

Filling up his 2012 Ford Fusion, Mumm is thankful the E-15 pumps are available earlier than usual.

“The only downfall is you can’t find it very many places,” said Mumm.

“During the summer months, we cannot legally sell,” said Lance Klatt, executive director of Minnoco.

Klatt points out between June 1 and September 15, gas stations are restricted from selling E-15, but restrictions this year were lifted early thanks in part to Hurricane Harvey.

With roughly half of the overall fuel sales at Minnoco's 37 locations coming from e-blends, Klatt continues to lobby members of Congress to allow sales year round.

“It’s a newer fuel - only about three years old in the Minnesota-St. Paul area,” he said. “We have Kwik Trip playing with it. We have Hy-Vee. My opinion, five years from now you’ll see 88 plus, which is an octane. I think you'll see that in the majority of the marketplace.”

While the option is touted as the better for the state’s economy and environment, the gas still has its critics. Minnoco hopes their annual “pink out” offering two cents off from every gallon to the hope chest for breast cancer will offer an incentive for drivers to give it a try.

While the vast majority of cars on the road can take E-15, AAA recommends double checking your car’s manual to make absolutely certain you can put e-blends into your gas tank and not jeopardize your vehicle’s warranty.