Fill Er' Up

Why Your Choice at the Fuel Pump Matters

By Darcy Dougherty Maulsby | Photos by Joseph L. Murphy

Want to save money? One of the easiest ways is to make small changes in your spending, say personal finance coaches. Want to feel better? Small changes in your daily habits can lead to big changes in your health, say medical professionals. One of the simplest ways to do both is to choose ethanol at the fuel pump next time you fill up your vehicle.

“Ethanol is better for your wallet, offering savings of 5 to 10 cents per gallon at most locations,” says T.J. Page, market development manager for the Iowa Corn Growers Association (Iowa Corn). “Ethanol is also safer for the planet and for human health. The American Lung Association estimates that using ethanol can reduce your family’s risk of cancer by up to 30%, due to reduced exposure to toxic emissions.”

You’re probably already using an ethanol blend in your vehicle, although you may not know it. “More than 95% of gasoline sold in the U.S. contains at least 10% ethanol,” Page says.

Northwest Iowa farmer Kelly Nieuwenhuis has opted for ethanol since it became available in Iowa in 1978. “My first car was a 1972 Chevelle, and I’ve run nothing but ethanol in it all these years,” says Nieuwenhuis, who has raised corn and soybeans near Primghar for 37 years. “That car loves ethanol.”

Kelly Nieuwenhuis a northwest Iowa farmer and ethanol advocate. Photo courtesy of Iowa Corn.

Casey’s General Stores became one of the first large retailers in Iowa to blend 10% of its fuel with ethanol, starting in the early 2000s. Ethanol blends are available at all of Casey’s 527 Iowa stores, as well as many Casey’s stores outside of Iowa.

“Our goal is to provide the fuel options that meet our guests’ needs,” says Nathaniel Doddridge, vice president of fuel for the Ankeny-based convenience store chain. “We’re proud to support Iowa farmers and the biofuels produced from the crops they grow.”

DRIVING HOMEGROWN ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production, creating nearly 30% of all U.S. ethanol, according to Iowa Corn.

Ethanol provides a variety of benefits. It adds oxygen to fuel, which helps fuel combust more completely in the engine. This cuts the levels of toxic emissions and harmful particulate matter from the exhaust. “That means cleaner, healthier air for all of us,” Page says.

Ethanol protects the planet by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 43%, compared to gasoline. “Simply using ethanol in the U.S. in 2019 was like removing 11.5 million cars from the road for an entire year, in terms of GHS emissions,” Page adds. “That’s the equivalent of removing nearly all of the registered vehicles in New York and Florida.”

Higher blends of ethanol keep driving the renewable fuels industry forward. NASCAR has surpassed 15 million competition miles on E15 since 2011. “Ethanol is octane that provides serious power for your engine,” Nieuwenhuis says.

Casey’s continues to offer higher ethanol blends at select sites in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas. Options include E15, which contains 15% ethanol and works well for all passenger vehicles model year 2001 and newer. Casey’s also offers E85, which contains up to 85% ethanol. “We started with 17 locations selling E15 and E85, and now we’re up to 247 stores,” Doddridge says.

Nathaniel Doddridge, vice president of fuel for Casey's General Stores, is proud that the company offers E15 and E85 blends in 247 stores.

This means more options for motorists and more opportunities for Iowa corn growers. “Ethanol is the best thing that’s ever happened to my farm,” says Nieuwenhuis, an Iowa Corn Promotion Board director and president of the Siouxland Energy Cooperative, a farmer-owned ethanol plant in Sioux Center. “Producing renewable fuels in Iowa also contributes to America’s energy independence.”

FROM BEANS TO BIODIESEL

Biodiesel is another form of homegrown, renewable fuel. Instead of using corn, it’s made from vegetable oils like soybean oil.

“Soy biodiesel has become a really good product for us,” says Nathaniel Doddridge,

vice president of fuel for Casey’s General Stores. “In 2017, we had 10 stores that sold biodiesel. Today, we have more than 800 locations across the Midwest that sell biodiesel.”

Iowa leads the nation in biodiesel production, supplying an estimated 345 million gallons in 2019, according to the Iowa Biodiesel Board.

“We continue to offer more soy biodiesel as Casey’s expands into more states, including Arkansas and Oklahoma,” Doddridge says.

Customers can find a blend of ethanol fuel that suits their vehicle's needs.

INVESTING IN IOWA

Homegrown solutions are also important to Casey’s, which continues to invest in rural America. “Rural is at the heart of what we do,” Doddridge says. “About 60% of the communities we serve have a population of 5,000 people or fewer.”

Many people come to Casey’s not only to fill up their fuel tank but also to enjoy their famous pizza. This menu option debuted in the mid-1980s, when a Casey’s store began serving pizza to offer something beyond standard convenience-store fare like hot dogs.

“Quality is essential to the Casey’s brand,” says Doddridge, who notes that each store has its own kitchen. “We use 100% mozzarella cheese and pizza dough that’s made from scratch every day.”

Casey’s has become the fifth-largest pizza chain in America. It’s a milestone for America’s fourth-largest convenience store chain, which operates more than 2,200 stores in 16 states. Casey’s continues to evaluate new ways to serve customers more effectively, from food to fuel.

“We’re opening 60 to 80 new stores across the Midwest and South each year,” Doddridge says. “Every new store we open will include higher ethanol blends, including E15 and E85.”

Ethanol’s advantages go far beyond fuel, says Nieuwenhuis, who notes that 48,000 jobs in Iowa are directly connected to the ethanol industry. Each bushel of corn transformed into ethanol also produces animal feed for beef cattle, dairy cows, pigs and poultry. Many ethanol facilities also produce corn oil for human consumption.

“When we make ethanol, we’re making fuel, feed and food – all from the same bushel of corn,” Nieuwenhuis says. “Ethanol is all about people, planet and performance.”

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