Ethanol fuel blend gets boost from state

But the law, signed Tuesday by Gov. Janet Napolitano, assumes any service station will sell it. And it also assumes Arizonans actually buy cars and trucks that can use it.

That second point is critical: Motorists who think they're doing good for the environment by filling up on the fuel — made up of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline — could end up voiding their warranties and potentially ruining their engines.

State law does allow the sale of the blend, known as E85, in most of the state. The big exception is in the Phoenix area, where air pollution problems require the sale of specially blended fuels.

This new law, which will take effect this summer, alters some technical definitions to permit the sale of E85 in the Phoenix area. But it also will help residents throughout the state by imposing new requirements on the state Department of Weights and Measures to certify the quality of the fuel sold.

"It's good for air quality," said Duane Yantorno, manager of air and fuel quality for the state agency. He said ethanol produces much lower quantities of things like benzene and "aromatics" that can cause ozone pollution.

On the political side of the equation, Yantorno said more people using domestically grown ethanol means fewer people fueling their vehicles with nonrenewable fossil fuels, much of which has to be imported from other countries.

"The bad part is for the cars that aren't equipped for it," Yantorno said.

"It's very corrosive," he explained. "It will eat up some of the rubber gaskets and seals."

And because alcohol is a system cleaner, it means all the gunk in someone's fuel tank will be stirred up and put into the engine.

That makes it suitable only for "flexible fuel" vehicles specifically designed to handle both gasoline and E85. In fact, fueling up with E85 will void the warranty for vehicles not designed for it.

Yantorno said that's the reason one provision of the new law requires some specific labeling of E85 pumps so motorists don't inadvertently fill up with it.

Ethanol has one other drawback: mileage per gallon. Though E85 generally sells for a few cents less than gasoline, ethanol produces less energy than an identical volume of gas. That means it takes about 1.3 gallons of E85 to get as many miles as a gallon of gas.

The legislation was pushed by Pinal Energy LLC, which is building an ethanol plant near Maricopa that beginning next year is supposed to produce 55 million gallons a year. Lobbyist Robert Shuler said the new law will open the Maricopa County market to what the plant produces.

So who will sell it?

"That's the $100,000 question," Shuler said. He said Pinal Energy hopes to persuade a service station near the new plant to offer it, with an eye on creating more demand.

There are only four places in the state where motorists can get E85 — three in Tucson and one in Sierra Vista.

Several manufacturers already make flex-fuel vehicles. But buyers still have to be careful.

For example, Chevrolet manufactures Impala and Monte Carlo models with a 3.5-liter engine that can be fueled with E85. But not all of those vehicles with that engine will handle the fuel.

DaimlerChrysler announced earlier this month that some flex-fuel vehicles previously available only to fleet buyers will now be offered to the general public.

"It's very corrosive. It will eat up some of the rubber gaskets and seals."

Duane Yantorno

Dept. of Weights and Measures